“I come forth and from the plane of mind I rule.”

I’ve just returned from facilitating another Radiant Life Retreat in Ojai, California. We dove deep and broke through to new, rich ground. What moved me deeply was the moment each woman chose to bust through into new territory. Can you imagine what it takes for a seedling to burst through the soil after winter? These women summoned everything they had to get a glimpse of the light.  Now, today, as the sun moves into Aries tonight at 10:15 pm pacific time, we all get a chance to enter new and stimulating territory in our lives.

We are welcoming Spring into our lives — as we do each year. And each year we get to leave a little something behind that no longer serves us so we can travel lighter and brighter. Both the shedding of winter and the embrace of Spring require DARING. We ask ourselves,”Can I live without that?” Or “If I really dare to launch, spring forth, break through, will it take hold? Will I thrive in the new land?”

Aries’ gift is daring. Sometimes it moves forward too impulsively or with too much effort, but when we ride the energy of Aries with grace, we have the capacity to summon our troupes, march forward, break through and be the pioneer of our own unexplored horizon. It’s inspiring to others. It’s inspiring for ourselves.

At its best, Aries seeds bold new ideas that will grow something worthwhile for all humanity. Aries comes forth with the power of the mind and says, “What about this, mankind? Have you considered THIS.” It offers THE NEW — served up (at times) with a little bravado, strut and a wink that says, ‘and I did it all by myself.”

Of course as an Aries grows and matures, he learns that nothing can be done alone and that while his part may be to plunge in with gusto, he’ll need a ton of support to see it through, to tend and grow his initial brilliant idea into a fully formed YES. Libras are great allies for Aries as they know how to choose wisely, work together and take the necessary time.

This month– daring ones–breathe in hope, innocence and chutzpah. If you have been hesitating, PLUNGE. If you have been sad, diligently search for a little spring in your heart and tend it lovingly. If you have an idea and have been brewing for a time, THE TIME IS NOW to ignite it, spark it, fire it up and send it out.

Come forth, my friends, with what you have to offer. Give your gift. You are, after all, the only one to give it.

Big love.

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.

A Poem for Aries

For a New Beginning

In out-of-the-way places of the heart,
Where your thoughts never think to wander,
This beginning has been quietly forming,
Waiting until you were ready to emerge.

For a long time it has watched your desire,
Feeling the emptiness growing inside you,
Noticing how you willed yourself on,
Still unable to leave what you had outgrown.

It watched you play with the seduction of safety
And the gray promises that sameness whispered,
Heard the waves of turmoil rise and relent,
Wondered would you always live like this.

Then the delight, when your courage kindled,
And out you stepped onto new ground,
Your eyes young again with energy and dream,
A path of plenitude opening before you.

Though your destination is not yet clear
You can trust the promise of this opening;
Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning
That is at one with your life’s desire.

Awaken your spirit to adventure;
Hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk;
Soon you will be home in a new rhythm,
For your soul senses the world that awaits you.

~ John O’Donohue ~

My yoga teacher, Sofia Diaz, recently described the difference between intensity and pain in our daily practice. She said intensity was like a low hum in the body, stretching us to our limits and asking us to let go into something greater than ourselves. Pain is sharp and sudden and an obvious indication we should stop what we are doing. Many of us mistake intensity for pain. We pull back when we should drop further in.

A heart ache is an opportunity to ride intensity, to drop in, to open still further. Our hearts ache when the radiance and potency of the heart meet something other than unbounded love. Our hearts ache because the intensity of our love is met with something we perceive as other than that love. It is in the moment that the heart’s fierce gift meets obstruction that our greatest thresholds can be crossed.

How many of us give up on love because it’s embarrassing or raw or too revealing? How many of us pull back from an another’s eyes afraid to stay too long or afraid what another will think or how we ourselves will react? How many of us make our love ‘nice’ instead or letting it flow like the wild and powerful river it is?

We welcome the sign of Pisces today at 10:18 pm pacific time. This is the final sign of the zodiac. It is a sign of culmination and synthesis. It wraps up the zodiacal year and asks us to leave behind what we do not wish to carry into the next cycle. In many ways, it is a month of surrender — a surrender into a greater love.

Let us remember that the heart can ache as it witnesses exquisite beauty. It can ache as it registers a remarkable act of love or compassion. It can ache because it wants to learn to love ever more. And the month of Pisces is a month to learn to love bigger, deeper, wider, with less boundary, with less reserve. It’s a month to stand open and willing to be touched. It’s a month to choose intimacy rather than escape. And remember– intimacy can be felt as you order your coffee in the morning or as you thank someone for packing your groceries. It’s a choice about how you connect moment to moment.

This month, take the phrase “the eyes are a window to the soul” as a real and tangible truth — and meet the gaze of many. Look deeper. Love more. Let go of all (at least some?) of the emotional baggage or accounts you’ve been carrying. Put them down. Walk lighter. Uplift those you meet. Redeem what you can. Stand in a rain of grace and invite others in.

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 Pisces

Love Is Not Fragile, by Samantha Reynolds (bentlily.com)

Who taught you
to be sparing
with your love
as though your heart was a bank
as though love could dry up
nonsense
it is as if the ocean complained
it was too
wet
love is not fragile
it is as common as breath
it is play money
it is a race
to give more
go first
say it with impunity
you think you will ache
with vulnerability
but the strangest thing will happen
you will nearly drown
with peace.

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

“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 ~

“I choose the way which lies between the two great lines of force.”

The Sun moved into Libra today at 2:05 am Pacific time. The Fall is upon us. Libra is a cardinal sign which means it has a ton of initiative.  But unlike Aries which is a very solo, pioneering initiative, Libra uses its dynamism to create right equality and right relationship.

Libra is the mid-point of the zodiac. It is the cesura or resting point as we travel through the signs. The danger of Libra is that we hang out in the pause, that we don’t commit, that we weigh things endlessly, that we metaphorically SIT ON THE FENCE. It can be pleasant and relational and lovely, but can be hard to make choices that result in action.

So, how can we best welcome and use this beautiful Libran energy? Saturn is still in the sign of Libra for a few more months which puts extra pressure on all the relationships in our lives. This month in particular, we will be focused on RELATING. We choose those with whom we wish to relate. We build  partnerships. We ask if we could do something better — together. We marry. We unite. We hold hands. We try to live ‘the marriage in the heavens’ — which is in fact the marriage of the soul and the personality. Then too, we break up. We end relationships. We choose where to put our energy.

Libra also brings the qualities of fairness, justice, equality. It brings the Law. So, we could say we bring the Law to all our relationships. We weigh them. (But not forever). And then we commit whole-heartedly to those that speak most deeply to us.

The esoteric ruling planet of Libra is Uranus. Uranus is the planet that demands freedom and authenticity. It asks us to bring our whole selves and our soul selves to the relationships in our lives. It asks us to show up with the truth — not just pleasantries. It asks that those relationships that have been inequitable become more fair or balanced. It asks for radical relating — truth-telling, engaged self-expression and innovative collaboration.

The phrase for Libra is “I choose the Way which lies between the two great lines of force.” This is a razor’s edge. We find the Way only after oscillating for many many years. We swing in one direction fully and then the other with just as much commitment. We feel one way and then the other. We search for balance. The most important word here is CHOOSE. If a Libra is willing to choose with clarity and commitment ‘the noble middle path’, there will be tremendous support as he/she walks the Way. All manner of people and events will conspire to support the choice. The danger zone is in the endless oscillation between EXTREMES.

So, this month:

• Make decisions.
• Jump off the fence.
• Grab someone’s hand.
• Head down a noble path.
• Show up fully.
• Offer up your radical, full, authentic self.
• Again and again and again.

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 and highly recommends her retreats and services.

A Poem for Libra:
Clarity Is Freedom by St. Teresa of Avila

I had tea yesterday with a great theologian,
and he asked me,

“What is your experience of God’s will?”

I liked that question –
for the distillation of thought hones thought in others.
Clarity, I know, is freedom.

What is my experience of God’s will?

Everyone is a traveler.  Most all need lodging, food,
and clothes.

I let enter my mouth what will enrich me.  I wear what
will make my eye content,
I sleep where I will
wake with the
strength to
deeply
love

all my mind can
hold.

What is God’s will for a wing?
Every bird knows
that.

St. Teresa of Avila

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.

It’s been splashed across the news recently that the sun is no longer actually in your astrological sun sign — the one you look up in the newspaper — and hasn’t been for centuries, due to the tilting earth.  Moreover, Babylonian astrologers apparently removed a sign from the zodiac.  Should it be in there?  Should your sign really be where the sun is located, a different sign?  After all, that’s the definition of a sun sign.

Tune in today at noon Pacific/3pm Eastern as Daria Boissonnas, Founder of GIA, interviews professional astrologer and ordained minister Patricia Selmo.  They intend to answer these questions and more, spell out the different astrology systems clearly, and make it all so simple you could explain it to your dog.

Join us by making sure you’re on our email list an hour before the call.  Just sign up for the free offer at the top of this page (you don’t have to download it if you don’t want to.)

If you miss the call, we will send around a link to the audio for you to enjoy any time.

Date: 20 January 2011
Time: noon Pacific, 1pm Mountain, 2pm Central, 3pm Eastern US time
Register: sign up for our freebie at the top of this page at least one hour before the call to get call-in information

About Patricia Selmo

Patricia Selmo is a former Aerospace Engineer turned Interfaith Minister, Life Coach, Astrologer and Energy Healer.  She has over 20 years of experience facilitating, coaching and managing professionals in the corporate environment. She now uses a unique combination of Spiritual Counseling, Ancient Wisdom (or Astrology) and Modern Science (Quantum Physics) to help people who are stuck or wanting more out of life to align with their soul purpose, connect with their Source and live an abundant life – on their own terms!  You can find Patricia at  http://www.TheBlissfulSoul.com

About Daria Boissonnas

Daria Boissonnas has been obsessed with mysteries of the Universe since she a child.  One day in 1997, she heard the first inklings of her higher calling, left her job as a corporate marketing exec, and began investigating and practicing energy healing, much to her surprise.  As she walked her healing path, she discovered she had a gift for healing groups and for helping people awaken to their greatest potential:  to know and use their innate gifts and calling to create permanent positive change in the world.  Today she leads the Global Institute for Awakening which provides the practical steps and wisdom for their many members to fulfill their highest calling in a way that fully supports them.  Enjoy GIA’s free Trail Guide to Awakening goodies for you at http://GIawaken.com.

By Donna Kozik, guest writer

Most of us were taught we should be happy and thankful for what we have.  I agree — gratitude is a key element of happiness.  Most of us were told as children that there are many others who are far less fortunate than us.  I agree — there are many whose lives are a daily struggle just to survive and meet the most basic of needs.

I believe our parents had good intentions by teaching us those things.  They wanted us to grow up to be happy, grateful and unselfish people.  They didn’t want us to be greedy and unappreciative.  But many of them — through no fault of their own — didn’t balance those lessons out with the permission or encouragement we needed to grow up and DREAM BIG.

Consequently, many of us are afraid to be successful, to be rich, or to even think BIG — because it’s in contradiction to much of our core conditioning.  The majority of us don’t even realize we’ve been programmed to expect less and demand less from life.  And often those of us who do give ourselves permission to dream just stay comfortable with the dream and never really take the steps to turn those dreams into reality.

Now there’s no point and no time to waste being angry with your parents.  They did the best they could with what they knew and with whatever conditioning they endured. I only bring this to your attention in case you’re one of the people who have been lulled into settling for less or into thinking small. By being aware of it, you can begin to change it.

Life, by its very nature, is designed to grow, to evolve and to become more than it started out as.  You do not need to worry that having your fair share will prevent another from having theirs.  There is more than enough success, money, food and anything else you can imagine to go around.

Is it nice to share?  You bet.  Is it good energy to spread your good fortune around?  You bet.  But let’s be clear about one thing  — the universe loves it when you dream big and think big.  One tree’s largeness does not prevent any other trees from growing big.

Recently I took part in #WriteChat (Sunday afternoons on Twitter).  I got into a conversation with an aspiring author who is sending out his manuscript to not one, not five but to a hundred agents at once.  Good for him!

First there’s the practical.  Don’t you agree he’s bound to get a better agent pursuing 100 versus five?  (When’s the last time you “went big” in pursuing more pages written?  More prospective clients contacted?)  Then, there’s the energy he’s bringing his book project.  No sitting home alone and “woe is me” going on there — he’s taking action and making relationships.  Something good — probably even better than he initially imagined — is bound to happen!

So why not challenge yourself to begin expanding your horizons right this very minute?  Imagine more, not less.  Think bigger, not smaller.  And open yourself up to abundance and opportunities.

About Donna Kozik
Donna Kozik is a business owner, 2-time award-winning author, and a member of the Friar Faithful.  You can find out more about her signature “Write a Book in a Weekend” virtual online events and get a free “12 Strategies to Becoming a Published Author” report at http://WriteWithDonna.com.  This article © 2010 Donna Kozik & Associates, Inc.

Follow Donna on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/DonnaKozik
On facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/donnakozik

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.

In a vivid dream in high school, I read an article I'd written (in the dream) from a newspaper.  It was a great article, on a topic I didn't know much about.  Where did that complete, amazing and well-written article come from in my dream? What magical source produced a great article in an instant, when I had to struggle for a week to write something like that?

I tend to collect clients who are wonderful creative types: writers, painters, fiber artists, musicians, crafty types.  And they are very much healers, too.  They use their creative gifts in healing others as well as themselves.  Me too.  My art is writing.  In the creative process, I find my best writing, speaking, and healing work with clients feels like it comes, not from me, but through me.  I know in my heart that the book I am writing about the healer's path came from somewhere else, but through me.  I could feel the energy of it when I started.  It was my job to put the physical words on top of that energy, like icing a cake. 

Call the Source of creativity what you like — Universal Mind, Source, God, Spirit, my Muse — by any other name, I know it still.  It comes through a connection, which I can sometimes even palpably feel in my body, in my heart area or head or throat.  It is a connection to something indescribable, and when it happens I can feel the information flowing in.  What comes in I know I didn't "think up".  The shapes, feelings and colors of these ideas are soooo delicious, so brilliant and clear, wonderful and satisfying.  Peaceful and grounding.  I can't get enough.  It's divine!

This is the creative process, a connection to the pool of all potential ideas.  As you practice establishing your connection to this Source for creative or healing purposes, you can bring more harmony and order into your life.  When this magic connection happens, there is little hard work involved and the results are brilliant. 

We all crave this connection to Divinity.  I believe this is why we crave art and beauty.  When others perceive this connection in your work, they will feel drawn to read your book, go to your art show, listen to your song over and over, or ask you to work with them to heal.  They want this connection, too.  And this is why there will always, always be plenty of work for artists, intuitives, creatives and healers.

This same process happens in healing.  When you connect to that part of you that is divine and eternal, which happens to be whole, healed, and perfect all the time, then you can "remember" or connect more fully to who you truly are, and healing happens.  Repeatedly making that connection happen is a lifelong practice for any healer — in fact, that's why our businesses are called "practices".

Whether you believe you are are creative or not, I wanted to make sure you'd seen this brilliant talk from Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of Eat, Pray Love, about the creative process.  Listen as an artist or writer, and then listen as a healer, replacing her words "writing" and "writer" with "healing" and "healer".  I think you will recognize something deep, something familiar… and she explains it so wonderfully!  Let me know what you think.