Astro-Weirding Courtesy Of Retrograde Venus
16 April 2009, 22:24
Some of you may have noticed that the past little while has been… well, WEIRD, for lack of a better word. Especially in the romance universe. Mixed messages, insanely indecipherable behaviour & strange incompatibilities are all rife. It’s maddening. Why? Because Venus has been in retrograde, & has been since the 6th of March. This could explain a few things, hmm?! When planets retrograde, we often feel stuck or confused & unable to move forward. While this is extremely frustrating, it’s a great time to learn & reflect on our old patterns so we can change them & surge onwards to a bright new dawn.
Venus is the planet of love & creativity. It also rules beauty, aesthetics, friendships, marriages & pleasure, so when it goes retrograde, it can affect us in various ways. Arguments, misunderstandings & epic miscommunications are everywhere you turn, romances hit rocky territory, artists lose their mojo & writers feel uninspired. Ordinarily outgoing people want to hide in their houses, & even shopping for clothing or furniture can become a frustrating trial. Ex-boyfriends might start emailing you out of the blue — sentimental thoughts are higher than usual. You might be re-evaluating all your past relationships, as we often find ourselves being forced to deal with old issues during this time, & we could be drawn to more unconventional relationships (or people!) than would normally appeal to us. Yes, it can be a trying time. To see what Venus retrograde has really struck for you, this page from Cafe Astrology outlines what particular areas have been affected for each sign.
The good news is that Venus is going direct again this Friday/Saturday depending on where you are on the planet (see below). Even better, at the time it goes direct, Mercury trines Saturn, meaning mental powers are heightened & we all feel super-conscious & lucid.
Venus goes direct again at…
12.25pm Friday 17th April in Los Angeles
15.25pm Friday 17th April in New York
20.25pm Friday 17th April in London
5.25am Saturday 18th April in Sydney
7.25am Saturday 18th April in Wellington
(If your city isn’t listed, this time zone converter should do the trick!)
Hallelujah!
Mystic Medusa sent out a great message on her mailing list the other day with a couple of ideas of rituals you could do to usher in Venus going direct, & as I read it & thought ‘What a great idea!’, it occurred to me that there were a lot of other ways you could do this that were less pagan/squiffy/“new age” in nature. We are not all comfortable lighting a candle & waving around a stick of incense, right?
Firstly, though, why would anyone want to do a ritual just because the planets are changing? Well, really what it’s about is making a conscious decision to end a chapter in your life & start on a fresh new course. So often people say, “Okay, time for a change!” but it never comes to fruition. There are a multitude of reasons for this, but when you decide to do something, it can be really helpful to make a dedication to it through your actions. You can write a list of goals, you can restructure your time, etc., but you can also kick it all off with a ritual to get you on the right track. Plus… rituals can be really fun, always a good reason to do anything!
In this case, Venus going direct is a time to commit to what it is you want in the areas of love, friendship, creativity & pleasure. We create our own lives, after all — this is just another way of making that happen.
When you do a ritual of any kind that is intended to bring about change, really what you want to do is focus on what it is that you want while performing an action which helps crystallise your thoughts. Visualising is an awesome way to manifest things, but at the same time, it’s very “up there”, which means that a lot of people feel like they’re not really doing it right. Visualising while moving your body with intent is a great way to bring manifesting into the here & now & make it more concrete. (Ah yes, all that dabbling in wicca at age 14 — despite the fact that it concerned my parents a LOT — had its uses!)
Visualise can be a scary, new agey word to a lot of people but I’ll let you in on a secret — it’s really just a fancy way of saying “imagine”!
Here are a selection of ways that you can unite body & mind. Just remember to keep your intention in your head as you do them! Think about what it is you want to create in your own life, specifically in the realm of love, friendship & creativity. Maybe you want to patch things up with your boyfriend, heal old relationship issues, make new friends or start writing a book. Whatever it is, just fantasize about it as you do one of the following, or something of your own creation — I’d love to hear what you come up with!
Re-examine your creative space. Clear it out. Take down all the old pictures, fortunes, trinkets, clean them off & then add in some new things which fire you up in fresh ways.
Make a list of all of the beautiful things you can think of — then come up with a bunch of ways to celebrate them when Venus goes direct.
Write a letter to your ex. Be as angry as you like. Spew total filth. Throw blame around, feel the fury, wallow in it. Then read it aloud, & BURN IT. As you burn it, allow those problems to disappear with it.
Write down all the ways you can be a love letter to the universe, & choose a few to action!
Glue heart-shaped crystals to your face & go out dancing.
Write a letter to yourself, explaining why you’re so fabulous & what you are thankful for.
Hold hands with a friend & recite affirmations together.
Conjure up images of all your ex-lovers in your head, & instead of seeing them as the person who caused this or that, choose to see them as a flawed person who did their best to love you.
Similarly, think of the people who surround you currently & decide to focus on their best & most positive qualities. No point dwelling on what could be different!
Buy a corkboard & pin up a bunch of pictures which symbolise what it is you want to attract into your life. Put on fun music, go mad with scissors, enjoy yourself! (Corkboards are good for making vision boards because while you want to see them regularly, sometimes you don’t want other people to see them… So you can always put them in a closet or under the bed when you have company!)
Make a little speech as you dedicate yourself to beauty & integrity.
Go through old love letters & throw them out — just ditch that cobwebby energy — OR pick the best ones, & frame them as an example of what it is you’re seeking. Just remember not to attach to the person who wrote them, unless of course you want them back!
Create a playlist of your favourite music, grab your hula hoop & headphones, go out & dance in the sunshine & revel in the wonder of the everyday.
Invite your lover — or someone you’re having issues with — & tell them that you both have fifteen minutes to get past garbage off your chests. You can make notes in preparation if you want. You have fifteen minutes to say your piece, & when the clock strikes half past, you have to both let it go & make up. Use your imagination!
Repot old plants & see them as a symbol of change, growth & evolution.
Meditate.
Dress in pink & throw yourself a belated Valentine’s Day-esque party.
Journal. Ask yourself questions, & answer them. What could you let go of to bring more positivity into your life? What fears are holding you back from doing that? In which areas are you willing to make change?
Think of an old conversation you had — one that is affecting you to this day (most of us have hundreds we can draw upon in a heartbeat) — & recite it as accurately as you can. Then recite it again, but this time, imagine it went a different way — a way that would have left you feeling good. Visualise this actually happening as clearly as possible. Then let it go.
Think about the ways you can take action in your life to change what has been bothering you for the past couple of months. Venus retrograde is really about observing & becoming aware of problems, not necessarily taking any concrete steps towards change, so consider what you could do now to shake things up.
Write notes to your friends outlining why you love them & what you appreciate about them.
Clear out the space in which you typically “get busy” — whether that’s your bedroom, kitchen (oh!), or the back seat of your Jeep… Get rid of dying plants or flowers (bad feng shui!), bring in some colour, vacuum, make it somewhere you really want to be!
Dispose of all the old energy following you around by getting a bit OCD on it. Clean everything. Change your bedding, wash your clothes, take off all the jewellery you wear regularly & clean it, dust, mop, etc.
The most powerful time of the transit is the hour that Venus goes direct — so the half hour on either side of the times stated above. So if you’re in London, kick off at about 8pm, & see if you can draw it out until 9.
Best of luck!
Extra For Experts:
If you want to come up with your own way of celebrating or ritualising Venus going direct, these resources might help you!
How to Create a Ritual or Ceremony from Spiritual Integrity.
New Moon Manifestation Ritual from About.com. This is new moon specific but still useful.
Ritual & Ceremony by Zan Benham.
Dance as ritual & transformation from The Hindu newspaper.
A Self Love Ceremony from About.com.
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iCiNG + SoulGarden = Mega-Bliss!
15 April 2009, 11:02
I am so excited to announce that I have teamed up with the infamous SoulGarden Collective! Meetings at technicolour swimming pools & glow-in-the-dark Mexican restaurants sparked off a wonderful friendship, & the upside to this is that you can now watch your daily horoscope right here on iCiNG! Wooooooooooooo!
If you glance casually to your right, you’ll see a SoulGarden icon, or you can just click here & go straight to it. Bookmark that page! Christopher does video horoscopes for each sign EVERY day — Monday through Friday — so you can hit it up any time for an instant astrological fix!
The player kicks off with the AstroWeather, but you can click the little two-prong icon to access the menu & go directly to your horoscope!
I hope you enjoy this new development, I’m so thrilled!
P.S. This player uses Flash, so if it’s not working, you might want to try checking for updates!
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Lightcasting February 2009
23 February 2009, 20:53
I wrote about Lightcasting Day last month, explaining what it is & why we should (or can) do it. Well, it’s that time again! I thought I’d tell you what each sign should be focussing on this month in order to make optimal progress! Mega-big-ups, props & thanks to SoulGarden for all the excellent work they do & information they provide!
Aquarius Your self-esteem & self-worth. If you think about it, everything you want to generate comes from loving yourself. If you want to make money, you have to believe you’re valuable; if you want to be in love, you have to believe you’re loveable! Everything stems from there.
Pisces This month is about generating a new persona & a new ego. This also extends to the kind of first impressions you make & how you behave within the world. Happy? Defensive? Passive? It’s up to you!
Aries Breaking old cycles, getting rid of old fears & changing habits which don’t serve you any more. Do you feel tethered to a relationship or job which isn’t making you happy? What do you want to end for good?
Taurus Your role in society — the friends you have, the people you know & how you feel about your position in the world are all in focus this month. Visualise the social life you want to have!
Gemini Your career, work & legacy. This is a great time to think about what kind of work you’d like to be doing, think about the kind of recognition you want & the sort of impact you want to make on the world.
Cancer Changing your beliefs. Some of your old beliefs may not be working for you, & it’s time to shake them up. Open your mind & your horizons will expand. This also covers the areas of education, learning or travel.
Leo Boundaries & intimacy. Do you let people get too close, or not close enough? Do you always say yes — or always say no? How do you want to re-draw these lines?
Virgo Marriages. This basically means rethinking anything you have a long-term commitment to, like intimate relationships, best friends, careers & even the way you relate to yourself!
Libra It’s time for a lifestyle change! How would you like your daily life to be? Changing your lifestyle will impact on everything else, too. Visualise how you’d like your life to look in the future.
Scorpio Personal dreams, thinking big & looking after your inner child! You know what it is you really want, it might just be that you haven’t been listening. Pay attention & dream big!
Sagittarius Focus on your foundations. This means how you treat yourself, your home life, & recovering from or processing early childhood experiences which have impacted on you. See yourself moving on & learning, or decide to manifest a peaceful home life.
Capricorn Consider your attitude towards life — is it working for you? It’s a good time to journal or talk to your friends about how you’re feeling, it will help you get clarity & renewed focus for manifesting a better attitude.
If you’re kind of in tune with the universe & use your intuition quite well, you might have noticed that the issues relevant to your sign are already quite big in your life. For the last week or so, I’ve been thinking about relationships & work a lot — even more than usual, haha! So take the things you’ve churning around your head, write them down, & then use them as fuel to work out what you want.
I just did my lightcasting for the day, & rather than just thinking about it or visualising it — which can kind of seem a bit airy-fairy & maybe like you’re “not doing it properly” — I employed a new technique which I feel really good about!
I turned to a new page in my Moleskine journal & made three headings. Since Virgos are looking at marriages, there were three areas I wanted to look at: love or intimate relationships, work & career, & the way I relate to & treat myself. Then I stepped away from the computer (always helpful!) & started making some notes in all 3 categories. What did I want? What did I not want? How did I want to feel about it? Then when I felt like it was complete, I took a big drink of water & did a bunch of rounds of EFT while I read it aloud to myself & visualised it at the same time.
The bonus of using EFT is that it helps you clear any internal or subconscious resistance you might have to the things you’re going after. For example, if you say you want a loving relationship but you’re actually afraid of getting close to people, there’s going to be a conflict of interest. As long as you have that fear — even if you’re not aware you have it, which happens all the time — you’re going to find it difficult to manifest the things you want. EFT helps break that stuff down, & I’ve found it’s also extremely useful for helping you realise where your blockages or issues are.
What are your best tips, tricks, secrets or techniques for visualising or manifesting things in your life?
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Carousel -- Week Ending 6th February 2009
5 February 2009, 18:30
Today’s Carousel is tiny but lively, with plenty of astrology mania & a bit of your average, run-of-the-mill madness. Hope you enjoy!
Friskyscopes — aka love & sex horoscopes — every week at The Frisky.
I just found out about afformations. & I am going to write some more about them soon, because I’m sure they will be useful to plenty of us!
I found this by complete chance: Intoxicated Zodiac Blog is a guide to cocktails by star sign! I love it! I especially like the references to Virgos liking lavender drinks — in my opinion, a lavender martini can’t be beat! I like this too…
“i could not believe how many top level virgo fashionistas there were… more than ANY OTHER SIGN! (Stephen meisel, Tom ford, Claudia Schiffer, Stella McCartney, Karl Lagerfeld, Michael kors, Anna sui, Hugo boss). these hypercritical angels are actually workaholic nazis… they possess a clarity of vision that can’t be tainted, a determination of will that can’t be swayed, and a heart of loving steel that can’t easily be won.”
Aw, bless.
DailyOM does horoscopes too.
Spooky Medium from Mystic Medusa.
Tell me what you believe now. What did you get? Mine says, “Right now I believe that you should encourage others.”
Shop Therapy is holding a contest where you could win an outfit from ModCloth, & I’m judging! Go forth & enter!
Video horoscopes for 2009 from Diana Garland. I like her!
Cary Tennis nails it. Again.
“This takes years before you go, yeah, OK, I am strangely uncool but so are you so fuck you we can be friends or not I don’t give a rat’s ass.”
Fun things for hoop dance maniacs! Hoop Convergence 2009 happens May 8th through 11th in North Carolina! Sounds good to me! Ditto Hooping University!
Raw Food, Right Now! is an excellent raw food blog brought to you by Heidi & JS Ohlander. I’ve been talking to Heidi & she is super-nice, with a really cool view of food & health — check it out for yourself!
YOU ARE REMARKABLE presents beautiful strong words — 10 of the most beautiful words in the English language, with a link to the next 90! Make it your mission to use one in a sentence today!
If you didn’t subscribe to ZoomDoggle after I linked it last week, you’re missing out. Proof! Let Your Ears Travel, Fresh Prince In One Breath, Cornify (unicorns!) & dear god I am so juvenile.
National Cheerleading Assocation Stunt Fest 2008!
Ohhh my god.
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Horoscopes For The Year Of The Ox!
26 January 2009, 19:25
2009 is the year of the ox. The ox in Chinese astrology is similar to Capricorn in Western astrology — a sign of practicality & stability. The ox is known for being dutiful & responsible. The Chinese believe that the year of the ox is an ideal year in which to build a solid foundation, & to plant seeds from which you will benefit later. Being diligent & patient will reap you great rewards!
Here are your individual horoscopes for the Chinese new year!
Ox 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 2009
The male ox will have better romantic luck than females this year. Women are expected to have lots of short-term romances, & will need to take the initiative in the romantic department more than usual this year — so pounce that saucy stranger! Men are much more likely to meet someone with whom they could spend a few years with. There is a star of wealth shining on the ox this year, signifying slow but steady financial progress. Don’t push or rush anything, just stay the course. The main thing to concentrate on this year is interpersonal relationships. Decide to become a better friend & lover by learning to communicate!
Tiger 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998
Tigers will probably be frustrated by the slow pace of this year. Learning patience & restraint might be their major lesson! Don’t make any sudden decisions, especially when you’re angry, because it’s extremely likely that you’ll get into trouble if you do! It’s possible that people around you will distrust or betray you this year, so be cautious. Don’t tell everyone everything! Be careful signing contracts & documents, too — be sure to double- or triple-check them. Having said all this, there are lucky stars shining on you too, especially when it comes to work. You will be very likely to get a promotion or raise this year.
Rabbit 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999
This is a year for nesting & resting with friends & family. The people around you will take care of you in 2009. There are many stars of love & luck shining on you, which will make you even more charming & appealing than ever before! This is great news for single rabbits but rabbits in relationships need to be careful to resist temptation, for it will come your way this year! There will also be positive developments around home life, such as buying a new home or redecorating a current one.
Dragon 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000
There will be major changes in the dragon’s life this year. It could go either way, so be prepared for a radical shake-up or wake-up! Stay conscious & present & optimistic. It is incredibly important that this year you work to maintain your integrity. Travelling a lot this year will help you create lots of positive energy around you. If you keep working hard this year, you will see good progress. Your relationships will be comfortable & easy.
Snake 1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001
2009 is a super-lucky for snakes! Act on opportunities & seize the moment! You have great luck in love & career this year — the chances of getting married or a huge promotion are excellent. You will meet influential people who will inspire & help you make more money as well as increasing your prestige. You should still be careful, though — you may want to save some money this year to help cover unexpected expenses or losses.
Horse 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002
This is going to be a hectic year for horses as all kinds of things happen. You will have good & bad luck, but as long as you remember that everything brings opportunity & choices, you’ll be just fine! A lucky star which represents courage, social status & leadership is shining on you, meaning it is likely that you will do well at work & in moving up through the ranks! Learn to ask for help because this year you may need it. You may also find yourself moving house or country!
Sheep 1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003
Sheep are going to be insanely lucky in love this year, much more so than last year! Being single & unencumbered is a good thing for you right not because it gives you the opportunity to take your pick from any number of eligible bachelors or bachelorettes! There are stars of gossip (!) around you though, so be quiet — don’t gloat about your sordid romance(s)! Promotions, raises & great personal growth are also in the stars for you this year. You may feel lonely at times, but be grateful for what you have & 2009 will be a great success.
Monkey 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004
This is a year of travelling for the monkey, & amazingly, the more you travel, the more money you will earn! If you are in an academic or intellectual field, you will have a lot of luck too — your mind will be clear & creative, & you will have lots of energy. You will achieve a lot this year. Take extra classes if you can. You will have plenty of free time this year too, which should be spent associating with friends & family.
Rooster 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005
The rooster may have to work hard to generate happiness this year. This is not a time for complacency or just coasting along — in order for 2009 to be a success, you will need to make a concerted effort. Someone is going to look after you & influence you a lot. It’s a great time to gain on what you lost in recent years, & your prestige & reputation are increasing.
Dog 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006
This year brings dramatic change for dogs — whether that’s good or bad is up to you! Concentrate on the positive & you will enjoy yourself much more. Make an effort to travel when you can & attend social engagements. Dogs who work in the creative or design industries will feel more inspired than ever this year, & will get lots of appreciation & recognition for their work. You might argue with your family more than usual this year, & all your hard work, while fun, may stress you out. Spend time with friends & relax whenever you can.
Pig 1911, 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995
This is a bright year full of wonder, with lots of love & career luck. Pigs in relationships might get married or pregnant, while single female pigs are encouraged to travel to far-flung lands to find the love of their life! Long-term relationships are in the cards for pig ladies. The stars for clear thinking are shining brightly this year, which is great news for pigs whose work is intellectual or creative. It is also likely that you will gain a lot of recognition for the work you’ve done. This year, pigs should follow their instincts but avoid taking unnecessary risks. Mood swings, frustration & difficulty communicating may affect you but overall, 2009 will be a fantastic year.
Rat 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996
Romance could be tricky for rats this year. Many of you in long-term relationships will come to the realisation that the person you’re with is not the one you actually want. However, that’s the only area of 2009 which presents problems, because everything else looks wonderful. This is a great year for your career, especially for those people who work outdoors or have positions of leadership or authority. Rats will eat a lot of good food this year too, but should take care not to overindulge! The elder family members of rats may have health problems, & rats are discouraged from engaging in risky sports because the chance of getting harmed is high! Overall, rats will make great progress this year as long as they know that good things take time.
What sign are you & what do you think of your predictions for the year? I’m a pig (oink oink!) & everything sounds pretty good to me!
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