Late bloomin'

Out of all the zodiacal signs, Virgo and Capricorn are considered by astrologers to be late bloomers. One astrological writer believes that Saturn in Virgo probably spends too much time and energy on seemingly minute and ultimately insignificant details. I would see it in a different light, and I feel any time spent laboriously on the details is not time wasted, and it helps to perfect the craft. Images of Virgo will include anyone involved in a craft, or some sort of technical achievement. However, I must ask the question: What do people mean by late bloomers? Is it about finding our true calling later in life? Is it getting married when we are 40? Did we miss the parade passing by? To help me with the definition of a “Late Bloomer” I looked up the meaning of the term on Wikipedia:

A late bloomer is a person whose talents or capabilities are not visible to others until later than usual. The term is used metaphorically to describe a child or adolescent who develops more slowly than others in their age group, but eventually catches up and in some cases overtakes their peers, or an adult whose talent or genius in a particular field only appears later in life than is normal - in some cases only in old age.

It’s often found that late bloomers are kind of bookish, with their heads buried in their work. I wouldn’t necessarily call Virgo’s late bloomers, but they don’t show off their gifts and there is a quiet humility which exists in them. It’s difficult to pin down what is meant by late bloomer. Development in any area of life happens when an individual is ready. Whether it’s the flowering potential of new writing skills, marriage, or finding a new vocation in life. Anyone can become a late bloomer, and there is always room for more growth in our lives.


Astrologically Virgo’s are discriminating, and they are categorists and like to know where everything fits by labelling, sorting, and classifying it. Virgo is ruled by Mercury and the accumulation of knowledge is important. Virgo’s acquisition of knowledge and skills ensures that time is not wasted, and that the results are useful for others. 


Virgo’s are realists and they want to live a useful life, and they can put aside the things in life which are not considered to be practical. Liz Greene says that Virgo can throw away romance, and tragically life is full work and drudgery. In Virgo’s world everything is carefully studied; analysed and improved, and some would say that this kind of saps the enjoyment out of life.

The more introverted Virgo suffers from shyness and lack of social ease and confidence. A sense of inadequacy can create an inferiority complex, but they also have an intense need for privacy, and being opposite to the boundlessness of Pisces, they hate their own boundaries being violated. However, some Virgo people who have the sign emphasised in their charts may find that their strong need for privacy leads to isolation. In this case, it could be believed that Virgo creates its own sense of separation through their fear of others invading their boundaries. 

Virgo also needs security, and this prevents them from taking risks in life. Therefore they may put themselves in limiting situations, and prefer the safety of a 9-5 daily routine. Guaranteeing their future is a more practical option for all earth signs. The stage which Virgo represents in the sequence of the zodiac is that of the completion of the individual. In Latin the word Virgo means unmarried or self-possessed. Virgo is not a dependent sign, they are learning about self-sufficiency, and belong to no one. The symbol for Virgo is the Maiden or Virgin, and she is endowed with the gifts of womanhood and she can remain independent and whole.


Virgo represents the time for harvest when the entire crop is cut and gathered after it has matured. Harvesting is the most labour intensive activity of the season. The myth of Demeter and Persephone has always been connected with Virgo but it also has its Scorpio undertones. At one time it was believed that Virgo and Scorpio were once joined, because the sign Libra had not been introduced to the zodiac. The Persephone myth involves the transformation of a young maiden into a wiser, more mature individual by the fruition of the harvest. 


Sometimes it is necessary for Virgo on their journey to becoming whole, to live alone for some time. Virgo is, after all, represented by the Hermit in the Tarot Card spread. The Hermit is the card of introspection, analysis and study. In a reading the card signifies that it is not a good time for socializing, and during this time in solitude, one learns wisdom. The Hermit’s time of withdrawal helps them to develop a firm sense of their identity and to grow into an individual who is integrated within himself. There is a lot of inner work that Virgo needs to do, and in some sense they are always preparing for something. 


Jungian astrologer Arthur Dion phrases Virgo’s penchant for detail in a powerful way. By focusing on a small flaw Virgo can miss out on the whole picture. 

They are like the woman who wanted to discover the secret of beauty by plucking the petals from the rose, until of course there was no rose left to look at.

It could be Virgo’s all work and no play attitude which means that they miss out on some of the more spontaneous fun to be had in youth. In later life, there may be that feeling that they could have experienced a whole lot more, but other indicators in the natal chart may overcome the natural urge for solitude. Nevertheless, it may simply be part of Virgo’s journey to do the essential inner work. When these people are ready to give themselves, they do it by choice and not by a sense of obligation. Virgo’s have integrity and always stay true to themselves, but they might need to recognize that they will need frequent intervals in which to be alone. Virgo can be considered the quiet beauty of the zodiac, they may not be showy, over-colourful or out there like some of the other signs, but they possess an incredible wisdom and down to earth practicality.

Lean on you.

How can we stabilize the path on those days when it's just plain rough? The first thing to do on the path is to change our perspective of looking at life. Initially, as we come onto the inner path, we look at the map of the journey--we read books. A book is a map. We then make up our mind whether or not we want to make a change in our lifestyle and our perspective. Once we decide that we do wish to go on, a good way to begin is to reprogram the clay-like subconscious mind. Reprogram the negative habit patterns by firmly believing that you're really all right. 

The second thing to accomplish is to learn to lean on your own spine. Everyone nowadays wants to lean on someone else. We lean on our families until they push us out into the world. Then we lean on our friends until they can't help us anymore. But still we keep on leaning. Then we lean on our therapist until we run out of money. This attitude of leaning on another is not the foundation needed for the delicate states of deep meditation to be sustained. 

We have to lean on our own spine. But first we have to claim our spiritual heritage and feel "I'm all right, right now." By saying this and believing it, we pull the energies in just a little and become centered again. When we ask ourselves point blank, "Am I all right, right now?" we have to come up with a "Yes." Lean on your own spine. Feel the power in the spine. Feel the energy in the spine. The energy in the spine is not concerned with any fear or worry or doubt--not at all. It is a pure, powerful, blissful energy. Lean on it, and you will go crashing through into inner states of meditation. Things in the world will also work out right for you. You will be in the flow of life. You will have perfect timing. Beautiful things will begin to happen to you in the exterior world. Opportunities will open up for you where there were no opportunities before. People will become nice to you who ordinarily would not. All this and more begins to happen because mentally you are leaning on yourself, and people in general like you to do this. 

Don't lean on a philosophy. Don't lean on a guru. Don't lean on a teacher. Lean on your own spine and that power within it. Then the guru can be some help to you, for you will obey his directions when he speaks. The philosophy begins to come alive in you, for you can complement it with your own inner knowing. 

Friendship.

What is as difficult to secure as friendship? 

And what greater security is there against foes?

With wise men, friendship waxes like the crescent moon; 

with fools, it wanes as surely as the full moon must.

The bonds that good men share are like good bound books, 

revealing new enchantments at each new encounter.

What matters in making friends is not merrymaking, 

but a stern rebuking when friends go astray.

It is not constant meeting and companionship, 

but shared sensibilities that confer the alliance of friendship.

A smiling face is no sure sign of friendship. 

Friendship is found deep within a smiling heart.

To divert a man from wrong, direct him toward right 

and share his sorrow in misfortune is comradeship.

As swiftly as the hand moves to seize a slipping garment, 

friendship acts to assuage a friend's distress.

Where does Friendship hold her court? It is where friends 

find constant support in every possible circumstance.

To boast, "He means so much to me, and I to him," 

merely belittles a friendship.

Infatuation vol. 2

DEMAND that a man lives up to your expectations character-wise. Let looks be secondary, or at least a co-requirement of character. He must prove himself to you in order for you to pay attention to him. He has to demonstrate that he has something to offer your life. This is something you require.

Wherever I go Virgo.

Virgo: Mutable Earth
Ruler: Mercury
Keywords: Discrimination   Synthesis   Service   Practicality   Precision  Acuity    Application 

Positive: helpful, modest, unassuming, sharp, clear, penetrating, discerning, meticulous, calm, self-reliant, charitable, organized, responsible, closeness to nature.
Negative: critical, lazy, slavish, obsequious, servile, scattered, manipulative, indecisive, forgetful, confused, irresponsible, nervous, stressed, slack.

Practicality and usefulness are essential attributes of this sign. Symbolically governed by the element Earth, Virgoans are apt to preference grounded and no-nonsense ways of making things happen. Sometimes Virgoans need to project themselves strongly and see themselves as being in charge, but more often Virgo tends to work best as part of a team. Virgo will often prefer to contribute quietly from the sides, assisting other characters more intent on recognition, to achieve goals and get things done. They tend to be specialize in working behind the scenes, lending quality control, practical efficiency and detailed help to achieve the most efficient and well-organized result. Virgoans tend to achieve this by providing the practical planning and attention-to-detail necessary to make things happen. Their ability to focus on what is essential and necessary is a great strength of this sign. The Virgoan individual will seek to improve and refine whatever task is at hand. The process of discrimination is the fundamental to this sign. On the external level, this can occur in obvious ways, earning Virgo the reputation for cleanliness and order. Virgo is traditionally associated with lists, details and protocols, and many (though not all) Virgoans will not feel comfortable unless a well-organized routine and structure is put into place. Yet not all Virgoans display the external characteristics of neatness and tidiness. For other Virgoans (more concerned with their inner lives), discrimination and order happens on a mental and psychological level, so that they become rigourous about maintaining a healthy and efficient body/mind.

As this is also a sign of mental acuity, many Virgoans are blessed with a sharp and critical mind. Virgo often shows a detailed capacity for rational analysis- the ability to pull something apart into its component pieces, see how they fit or work, and then put them back together again, most often in a more refined or improved version. Virgoans can specialize in minutiae, clarity and detail. They may also specialize in system thinking, editing and task prioritization. Few things escape the laser-like assessment of the task at hand once Virgoans are fully engaged with whatever is before them. The analytical side of this sign works well with this practical efficiency, again earning Virgo a reputation for organization and detail. Their mental acuity works best when there is something tangible to focus upon. Then they are able to make an enormous contribution to whatever field of endeavour they are working in. Virgoans often make valuable employees and highly useful friends, owing to their capacity to dissect a problem, organize it into sections, and then suggest practical ways to get the ensuing job done.

Virgo is also a sign of manual dexterity. Many Virgoans are naturally good at, and drawn toward, tangible problems that require practical results through analysis, diagnosis and reconfiguration. This can range from problems to do with patchwork and quilting, (Virgo is the sign of crafts), to problems with engines, plumbing, designs and operational management. Virgo is all about system thinking, and solving complex problems in practical ways is a Virgo specialty. Many excellent PA’s and problem-solvers are born under this sign. The planetary ruler of Virgo - Mercury - lends an ability to break down complex problems through a thorough analysis of a situation, before finding a resolution based on synthesis of detail. The great gift of Virgo is the ability to translate many elements into a cohesive and workable form. By synthesizing information, details and protocol, Virgoans make best use of whatever is before them. The earthiness of this sign gives the grounded vision necessary to put improved practices into place.

Through the influence of Mercury, the function of communication can also be pronounced. Mercury is concerned with the translation of information, and disseminating what has been gathered in some tangible form. It is at the level of processing and defining data, ideas and information that Virgo excels. Anything to do with analytical processes has a strong Virgoan component to it. Furthermore, Virgo is associated with the function of wit, especially through the written or spoken word. Many fine writers have the sign of Virgo prominent in their chart, for this sign lends both humour and the ability to observe others with precision and detail. Virgoans tend to be more than capable of describing an individual or scene precisely, and doing so in the most economical or efficient means. Distilling language down into an essential form means that the words that are used have maximum impact. By communicating with the utmost precision, Virgoans can easily get their point across. These are the gifts of a discriminating mind. Yet this mental acuity can also gives rise to other well-known Virgoan tendencies. These include a tendency to worry and to criticize, for it is the innate Virgoan need to categorize everything in a logical fashion that can lead them to constantly sort, compare and rate everything around them in relation to something else. One of the great challenges of this sign is the tendency to over-analyze. Virgoans tend to worry over intangibles that cannot, in fact, be changed. They can have very busy, active minds and it is essential that they find practical ways to ground and release this metal energy for physical and emotional well-being.

Virgoans need practical outlets for their skills, talents and abilities, yet these individuals tend to hold onto their energy and stay self-contained. They are not typically inclined to dramatize or seek attention from others for what is concerning them. They usually prefer to deal with their problems in their own unassuming way, so that those close to them may have no idea about what is actually going on. This tendency to “hold energy” is where the problems with their analytical mind begins. When there isn’t something external to focus their minds upon, Virgoans tends to turn their categorizing impulses against themselves. They start worrying, and trying to pick themselves and other people apart. If there is no “pre-approved” category to place experiences and people into, Virgo can then become edgy or nervous. They tend to prefer have ‘a plan’. The threat of potential chaos is strangely upsetting to Virgo. When they do not have a plan or system to fall back on, they can fall victim to obsessive thoughts about what ‘may’ happen in their lives. Yet life itself is made up of a myriad of unpredictable moments. To defend themselves from this threat of chaos, Virgoans often seek to “organize” the intangible. This then becomes a real problem, leading to excess stress and mental exhaustion based on repetitive worrying. Problems with the stomach and digestive tract can occur as a direct consequence of all this nervous energy. It is useful for Virgo to remember that they are better off with a project to work on. Rather than trying to ‘work’ on what essentially can’t be controlled, it is best to channel this nervous energy into something external- a project, a problem, a hobby or a pet. Then Virgo can find the delicate balance between pragmatism and analysis that is needed to stay harmoniously self-contained.

Virgo is a sensitive and discrete sign, not given to displays of largesse or self-aggrandizement. They are likely to value humility and a can-do attitude over grandiose gestures. Yet Virgo must also be on guard against a tendency to always put the self last. The tendency to seek ways to be of service, while being at the same time self-effacing, can mean Virgoans end up playing roles like Cinderella, without ever getting to attend the ball. It is important for Virgo to identify their wealth of practical and analytical abilities, and gain recognition for the hard work they do. While they may not require applause or accolades, they do need to acknowledge to themselves how capable they are. Virgo individuals often demonstrate their talents in a myriad of understated, yet extremely effective, ways. Often, other people will have already recognized and taken advantage of their skills. Virgo can let themselves be manipulated by feelings of obligation, believing that their service is a duty that need not be rewarded. It is extremely important that Virgo get to enjoy the benefits of their hard work too!

With all this in mind, Virgo is nonetheless an Earth sign. The sensual aspect of this sign is often overlooked. By focusing on tendencies to nitpick and worry, the sensual side of Virgo tends to get left out. Many Virgoan individuals have a healthy interest in the things of the body and of the earth, and will take much delight in sensual pleasures and the bounties life can bring. This can range from the Virgoan hedonist who secretly balances wild weekends with mid-week detox and purification regimes to the yoga enthusiast who takes great pleasure in perfecting their “Salute to The Sun”. This is the sign of mind/body synthesis, and any activity that allows them to fuse mind with body benefits will be extremely beneficial to them. In many ways, Virgoans tend to have a very healthy awareness of their own body and its needs. By attending to the things of the body and taking lots of time out for fun, Virgoans can connect to the essence of who they are and what life on earth is all about. However they choose to indulge themselves, moderation is key. Virgo is connected with the body and with the health, so that any excess is often felt immediately. Many Virgoans will also have an innate interest in, and affinity with, herbs, vitamins and natural means of body care. They tend to gravitate toward fresh healthy foods, regular supplements and health-care routines. For Virgo, the body is very much a temple, and Virgoans tend to honour this sacred space through attending to regular house-keeping as well as indulging in all the good things that life has to offer.

When born into the sign of Virgo, you are gifted with the ability to find practical solutions to complex problems. You bring the essential details necessary to realize what would otherwise only be a magnificent, yet unattained, Grand Plan. It is important that you find external avenues for your busy and discriminating mind. Otherwise you risk depleting your mental and physical energies through constant worry and self-doubt. Your challenge is to make full use of your grounded practicality without letting fear of the intangible, or of the unknown, get in your way. Virgoans are born to bring in the harvest through the right use of both physical and mental energies. Your concern with practical efficiency, usefulness and economy of means marries well with your analytic tendencies and attention to detail. By recognizing your skills, talents and abilities you can then take your rightful place when the work is done and be present at the banquet when the feast is shared!

Discovering Unspoken Thoughts.

He who can discern another's unspoken thoughts by merely looking 
is an emerald on an Earth encircled by equable seas.

Regard as god-like those who can divine 
without hesitation what is in the minds of others.

Give whatever is required to gain an advisor 
who, knowing his own mind, can read another's intentions.

Those who grasp others' unspoken thoughts have the same 
physical features as most folks--yet how different they are.

Of what benefit are eyes in a body, if they cannot 
by their observing powers perceive another's intentions?

As a crystal mirror reflects objects that are nearby, 
so the face reflects what is foremost in the heart.

What is more forthrightly profound than the face? 
For whether the heart is angry or glad, the face expresses it first.

If you find a man who understands matters by looking into 
the mind, it suffices to stand silently looking into his face.

If you find men who know the eye's language 
the eyes will speak to them of hidden hate and love.

Observe those who are said to see subtly with their mind's eye-- 
their singular measuring rod is their eyes

___________is in the eye of the beholder.

Once upon a time a man whose ax was missing suspected his neighbor's son. The boy walked like a thief, looked like a thief and spoke like a thief. But the man found his ax while digging in the valley, and the next time he saw his neighbor's son, the boy walked, looked and spoke like any other child.

-- Lao-Tzu

Consistency.

There is an art which you can learn which will make all of your decisions easier. It is the art of being constant. Consistency wins. Consistency is one of the most important qualities of a devotee. It is only through consistency in your daily life that you gain the awareness which enables you to cognize the experiences of life, taking from them their real lessons. It is only through consistency that you can avoid many of the boulders that lie in your way on the classical yoga path to enlightenment. 

Practice the art of being constant and you will unfold your destiny, discover what you were born to do and learn how to accomplish it in this life. For in that security you will awaken and fulfill your destiny and realize the Self. Thus, having your feet planted firmly on the ground, your consciousness can dwell freely in the spirit born of Self Realization. 

Study your approach to life today as you practice this exercise. Take some of the experiences from your subconscious state of mind. Add them up and see how well your life balances out. Visualize a scale before you. Put the total of the experiences understood and the lessons derived from them on one side. Put on the other side of the scale the total number of experiences that you do not fully understand and from which you can still reap lessons. See how they balance. If they balance evenly, you are well on your way to becoming steadfast and constant. If they overbalance on the reactionary side, you are on the right track because you now have the power to balance your scale--your subconscious. If they overbalance on the understanding side, you should consider dedicating your life to the service of others. 

Sit quietly with your eyes closed. Look deep within and trace back to the peak experiences that have happened through your life from your earliest days. Quickly fan through the pages of your life and pinpoint each climax, and know that that climax was the sum total of many experiences, forming one great experience out of which one great lesson of life was born. 

Take the experiences that you are not quite sure of--all the ones that you cannot form into a solid stone of understanding. Take those experiences and resolve to trace down each intuitively. Don't analyze. Just look at the sum total of the experiences, and after awhile you will get your clarification in a flash of intuition. This will be of great benefit to you. The great lessons that those experiences offer will become apparent as you progress in your practice of concentration. Do this and you will do much for yourself. 
.

The Pursuit of Happyness.

Nowadays, it’s not enough to be happy—if you can be even happier. The American Dream and the pursuit of happiness have morphed from a quest for general contentment to the idea that you must be happy at all times and in every way.


Happiness as a byproduct of living your life is a great thing but happiness as a goal is a recipe for disaster.


Could it be that by protecting our kids from unhappiness as children, we’re depriving them of happiness as adults?Parental overinvestment is contributing to a burgeoning generational narcissism that’s hurting our kids. Paul Bohn, a psychiatrist at UCLA who came to speak at my clinic, says the answer may be yes. Based on what he sees in his practice, Bohn believes many parents will do anything to avoid having their kids experience even mild discomfort, anxiety, or disappointment—“anything less than pleasant,” as he puts it—with the result that when, as adults, they experience the normal frustrations of life, they think something must be terribly wrong.


Indicators of self-esteem have risen consistently since the 1980s among middle-school, high-school, and college students. But, she says, what starts off as healthy self-esteem can quickly morph into an inflated view of oneself—a self-absorption and sense of entitlement that looks a lot like narcissism. In fact, rates of narcissism among college students have increased right along with self-esteem.



Meanwhile, rates of anxiety and depression have also risen in tandem with self-esteem. Why is this? “Narcissists are happy when they’re younger, because they’re the center of the universe,” Twenge explains. “Their parents act like their servants, shuttling them to any activity they choose and catering to their every desire. Parents are constantly telling their children how special and talented they are. This gives them an inflated view of their specialness compared to other human beings. Instead of feeling good about themselves, they feel better than everyone else.”


In early adulthood, this becomes a big problem. “People who feel like they’re unusually special end up alienating those around them,” Twenge says. “They don’t know how to work on teams as well or deal with limits. They get into the workplace and expect to be stimulated all the time, because their worlds were so structured with activities. They don’t like being told by a boss that their work might need improvement, and they feel insecure if they don’t get a constant stream of praise. They grew up in a culture where everyone gets a trophy just for participating, which is ludicrous and makes no sense when you apply it to actual sports games or work performance. Who would watch an NBA game with no winners or losers? Should everyone get paid the same amount, or get promoted, when some people have superior performance? They grew up in a bubble, so they get out into the real world and they start to feel lost and helpless. Kids who always have problems solved for them believe that they don’t know how to solve problems. And they’re right—they don’t.”


Measures of self-esteem are poor predictors of how content a person will be, especially if the self-esteem comes from constant accommodation and praise rather than earned accomplishment. Research shows that much better predictors of life fulfillment and success are perseverance, resiliency, and reality-testing—qualities that people need so they can navigate the day-to-day.



Parents are increasingly getting in the way of their children’s development.  It’s good for them to realize that they aren’t the center of the world, that sometimes other people’s feelings matter more than theirs at a particular moment—but it only helps if they’re getting the same limit-setting at home. If not, they become impulsive, because they’re not thinking about anybody else. This same teacher—who asked not to be identified, for fear of losing her job—says she sees many parents who think they’re setting limits, when actually, they’re just being wishy-washy.




In fact, by trying so hard to provide the perfectly happy childhood, we’re just making it harder for our kids to actually grow up. Maybe we parents are the ones who have some growing up to do—and some letting go.


Highlights that interested me since I teach kids like this and I'm afraid of what will become of future generations.....from: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/07/how-to-land-your-kid-in-therapy/8555/4/

Quotes I adore.

You can spend minutes, hours, days, weeks, or even months over-analyzing a situation; trying to put the pieces together, justifying what could've, would've happened... or you can just leave the pieces on the floor and move the fuck on. - Tupac


Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring. - Marilyn Monroe


When we tire of well-worn ways, we seek for new. This restless craving in the souls of men spurs them to climb, and to seek the mountain view - Ella Wheeler Wilcox


When he has the power to see things detached from self-interest and from the insistent claims of the lust of the senses, then alone can he have the true vision of the beauty that is everywhere. Then only can he see that what is unpleasant to us is not necessarily unbeautiful, but has its beauty in truth.


Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves like locked rooms and like books that are written in a very foreign tongue. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will find them gradually, without noticing it, and live along some distant day into the answer - Rainer Maria Rilke


Until you make peace with who you are, you'll never be content with what you have.


I will not live in fear of falling or catching fire. I choose to inhabit my days, to allow my living to open me, to make me less afraid, more accessible, to loosen my heart until it becomes a wing, a torch, a promise.


Self-destruction is the effect of cowardice in the highest extreme - Daniel Defoe

To all the high enders out there....

Have you ever noticed that Rolls Royce and Bentley don’t have commercials? REASON: They know that the value of their product is what brings customers to them. LESSON: When you know your value, you don’t have to beg people to be your mate, to spend time with you or love you. Be confident in who GOD made you to be. Everyone can’t afford the luxury of your friendship or love!

In full looney-ness.

I heart me because....

- I have a secret obsession with reality t.v. shows involving Housewives, Bad Girls, Bachelors and Restaurants
- I take care of all my own bills
- I am smart! I have a Masters Degree; I like to use big words.
- I am QUIRKY; unconventional; unique.
- I enjoy learning about religions and spirituality. In fact, I think everyone would be MUCH happier if they worked on developing their souls.
- I think there is a God or at least some form of All-pervasive, Universal energy
- I love anything glittery.
- I think most people are way too materialistic and rely on too many external things for happiness
- I feel the most important thing to nourish is the mind and soul
- I think dieting is stupid and just leads to an unhealthy relationship with the body / food.
- I think the Figure / Body Building world is ridiculous and chock full of lies - the guys (and some women) are on juice and the women starve / use diuretics / dehydrate themselves to look like that.
- I don't just like to stare at you when I talk - I use my hands and look around because that's what spurns my thoughts.
- I LOVE art.
- I LOVE lifting weights and being muscular.
- I don't follow fashion trends.
- I ask a lot of questions.
- I have a huge heart but I'm not a door mat; i.e. if you are doing something that goes against my values or that I generally don't like I am not afraid to tell you to f*ck off.
- I always stick up for myself and if I don't like something, I leave.
- I know when to hold 'em and know when to fold 'em.
- I still have issues with food some days but I am working on it.
- I embrace my PMS. It doesn't give me a right to be a bitch, though. Ok, maybe a little bit.
- I get bored when I'm not working or working towards something.
- I'm not "afraid" to be alone or single.
- I truly believe someone out there will get me and love me for all my ME-ness someday!

“The first time someone shows you who they are, believe them." - Maya Angelou

If you are between the ages of 28-30 or 58-60...READ this. :)

It has often been said that under strong Saturn transits one can choose between exhaustion and depression---some choice! It implies that because Saturn is often about doing real work in the mundane world that exhaustion is the better choice--- hinting that "it's better to wear out than to rust out"as Mark Twain once said.  So folks who understand “just a little” astrology sometimes view the coming of a Saturn Return with raised eyebrows and deep sighs. But then a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

Saturn brings to mind the two ancient Greek maxims, inscribed at the Temple at Delphi: “Know Thyself" and “Nothing in Excess.” One might think that by understanding and trying to live by these wise sayings one could avoid the great troubles in life. Perhaps they help; but still we seem to suffer. Our understanding of these words change as we age, but life often plays some nasty tricks on us in the meantime. Perhaps this is why we have Saturn transits—it’s a chance to get it right this time.


Saturn is the archetypal symbol for a way of being, or a process that slows us down and makes us take a cold hard look at reality. It can feel like the voice of the inner critic and in ancient times it was seen as “the old malefic” when its passage in the chart was viewed with some suspicion. It has roots in the idea of melancholy, timely delay, and redefining our lives from the very foundation. Despite any fatigue or depression, we are pressured to act at these Saturnian times, and ideally the action we must take will follow the insight and maturity that has been developing over time. For astrologers, it is a topic we are endlessly exploring with our clients.


However Saturn also represents the arrival of the harvest and our reward for hard work and effort. It brings a good harvest if we’re willing to wait. Its passage in a chart---especially at the time of the Saturn Returns-- marks a time when we have an opportunity for deep change and life-changing rewards. Not so bad!


There are two Saturn Returns that happen to everybody—the first is between the ages of twenty-eight and thirty, and the second, between the ages of fifty-eight and sixty. It’s necessary to consult the ephemeris or your astrologer to find the exact date for you, but the feeling of the Saturn Return saturates this whole time period. Astrologically speaking, the first Return is when we truly come into our adulthood, and the second is when we come into the wisdom of the Elder.

It’s true that our culture sees the age of twenty-one as the time of becoming an adult—but not for astrologers. For us it’s twenty-eight. And you may get your Social Security at sixty-five, but it’s at the second Saturn Return at around fifty-eight that your true personal and social security comes up for review. Saturn Returns can be times of rough passages-- or harvest--and they’re usually a bit of both.


The good news is that although Saturn’s transits in our lives may mark times of plain hard work and great self-questioning, it’s also a time when opportunities present themselves and the rewards can be great. Procrastination doesn't look like a good option any more. Perhaps our old lover is finally gone—and there’s someone on the horizon that looks really good—but will we make the same mistakes and bring our grief and anger with us into this fresh chance? Or  perhaps we’ve landed the new job, and now the work is profound--- and really hard. Or we’ve become pregnant, and we’re not feeling too great. The astrologer will say—hang in there, and do what needs to be done. Do your Saturn.


That’s the feeling of a Saturn transit, and especially the first Saturn Return, but look what’s coming! If you follow through with your vision, you’ve taken the first steps towards a true new beginning. The first Saturn Return, in the late twenties, is often marked by these kinds of personal milestones. The navigational tools are twofold: you must take a chance now, and you must give it all you can.  If you are willing, you will be rewarded.


Saturn often asks us “Whose movie am I in?” and then challenges us to be the director and author. Wouldn’t it be so much easier if we could just read our lines in the screenplay and have the ghost of “Christmas Future” come to us to show us the way? Instead, we are called to become our own “author-ity”---to truly become the author of our life.

We are being asked now to re-write our personal life scripts with our own spiritual muscle. Not always so easy, especially when our life drama is full of people and situations that no longer reflect who we really are and what we are becoming. The human unconscious has ways of conjuring up people, events, and situations that challenge us to the bone.  It’s almost as if the unconscious hires other people to play out parts of our life stories—this one is the boss, this one the victim, this one the unfaithful lover. At Saturnian junctures in your life you’ve probably “had it” with some of these people/roles and it’s time to write them out of your life script.  We are now challenged to take back our projections and to look at the drama of our life as our responsibility.  It’s too late to blame anyone anymore.

The Second Saturn Return, in the late fifties, is a time that calls for concrete actions in the real world, but it can be more subtle and sometimes more insidious. If we don’t do what needs to be done now, we may not be given a second chance.  If we put off our yearly physical exam and don’t stop the spread of some nasty growth, it may be too late later.  If we take a stiff upper lip and deny the fact that “the job is killing me, but I must wait till retirement age,” it may indeed kill you. 


As the body ages, depression and fatigue inevitably arise, yet as the body becomes less an object of vanity it’s a chance for the Spirit to rise.  This is the time when we may feel an uprising of irritability as a few old habits have the chance to rear their nasty heads again. This is the time to cut them off—to be done once and for all with them.  You may ask yourself: why am I dealing with these same issues again?  The answer is---because you’ve almost resolved them! And the last straw can be the hardest.  The hallmark of the second Saturn Return is that if you deal maturely with the old pockets of unfinished business you gain the gift that will last till the end—the gift of wisdom. You become an Elder.

And how do you do that? Priorities need to be clearer, and metaphorical closets and basements cleaned.  There is a need to look at what we feel disillusioned about and let the illusions go, lest these old ghosts feed on us and make us bitter. It’s a time to slow down and allow more sweetness and companionship into our lives, and to let the wild dogs of ambitious willfulness fight elsewhere. And if we’re going to be ambitious, we could do it in a way in which we can bring the fruits of our life experiences to bear on the project—such as returning to something we already do well but doing it even better, and with an attitude of reverence. Isn’t this the beginning of wisdom?  And as we acquire that, we will be called to ‘mentor’—to pass along the gifts of our learning.

So what are the tools needed to successfully navigate Saturnian waters?  Here are a few ideas:

            1—Be Discerning. You are at a time now when you understand things you didn’t understand even last year. Use your new wisdom to make wise choices based on clarity of intention. Dream into your future and discern the path through the woods. Here is where the quotes: “Know thyself” and “Nothing in Excess” become relevant. At these ages there is a necessity to pull back from the excesses of your younger years and to know what you can and cannot do.

            2—Take Heart. Find ways to reach out to others and be humble enough to ask for advice. If your marriage is in trouble, ask yourself the question: Is the relationship the true source of dissatisfaction, or is it the repository of your own misery? How much are you projecting your insecurities onto your partner, and not taking responsibility or even listening ‘with heart’?

                        3—Go Deeper. Superficial all or nothing solutions are a quick fix and Saturn doesn’t like quick fixes. Stretch beyond your comfort zones to new places of thought and action. As was said so many years ago: “Dig deep; the water—goodness—is down there. And as long as you keep digging it will keep bubbling up.” - Marcus Antoninis

             4--Take Action. Saturn rewards those that act and depresses those who procrastinate. In ancient texts, Saturn was sometimes seen as a devil who made a hand signal that said: “All that you see, is all there is.” That’s the devil’s lie.  Prove him wrong.

So Saturn can be seen as the spirit of Father Time, passing through our lives at these transits and “Returns” in the way Scrooge experienced his encounter with the Spirits of the past, present, and future.  The purpose of these visits wasn’t to give Scrooge a bad case of nerves, but to give him a second chance at life.  He saw himself differently; he grieved, he tried denying and avoiding, but ultimately he acted, and propelled himself—just in time—for his new life. 

North node in Cancer

In our astrology natal charts, everyone has a certain sign in the North and South Nodes. They both represent karmic paths - the South Node being the things we bring to fruition in this life and the South Node reflects the things we need to work on based on our past lives.


So here is my Soul Purpose; the elements I must learn to use: In this life it’s important for you to heal from duty and necessity—you may need to cry a few tears to unblock your emotions and express your true feelings. You may also want to make it a priority to give and receive love, and to watch what happens when you tend to the process of life rather than the goal. Dare to risk new beginnings that lead to metaphorical death, re-birth and resurrection, taking calculated risks. Use your sense of humor to repair, entertain, and mend bridges between family and friends.

Everyone's a star and deserves the right to twinkle.

The goal of life - In today's world most people have to be stimulated by competition to produce anything worthwhile, even if that means hurting other people. They have to be stimulated by conflict to produce anything worthy of producing in the world, and that hurts other people. They have to be stimulated by their home's breaking up, and that hurts other people. And they have to be stimulated by all kinds of other lower emotions to be able to get enough energy to move the forces of the world to do something, whether it be good or bad. Those who draw on the forces of the soul to move the forces of the world and make a difference. 



We are not on this planet to become educated, to get things, to make money, to dress up the physical body, to acquire property, to feed ourselves. We are on this planet for the realization of the Self, for that one thing, to go within ourselves. That is why we have come to this planet, and we will keep coming back through the process of reincarnation, time and time and time again, until that awareness grows up into a great big ball, where it is strong enough to move through the rarefied areas of the mind and finally, we are just there. Once we have the idea and have caught the vibration and have released awareness from that which it is aware of, we are on our way in our inner search for the ultimate goal, inwardly.








Trying to help others on the spiritual journey - But do not try to fix, or even entertain the desire to fix, that which you cannot fix, which is the karma, the action and reaction, of individuals who are going through the lower phases of life and must experience what they are experiencing and which you read about and hear about daily in newspapers, on TV and on the Internet.

Be mindful.

Mind is the Master power that moulds and makes,

And Man is Mind, and evermore he takes

The tool of Thought, and, shaping what he wills,

Brings forth a thousand joys, a thousand ills.

He thinks in secret, and it comes to pass -

Environment is but his looking-glass.

- James Allen

Only by much searching and mining, are gold and diamonds obtained, and man can find every truth connected with his being, if he will dig deep into the mine of his soul; and that he is the maker of his character, the moulder of his life, and the builder of his destiny, he may unerringly prove, if he will watch, control, and alter his thoughts, tracing their effects upon himself, upon others, and upon his life and circumstances, linking cause and effect by patient practice and investigation, and utilizing his every experience, even to the most trivial, everyday occurrence, as a means of obtaining that knowledge of himself which is Understanding, Wisdom, Power.



A man only begins to be a man when he ceases to whine and revile, and commences to search for the hidden justice which regulates his life. And as he adapts his mind to that regulating factor, he ceases to accuse others as the cause of his condition, and builds himself up in strong and noble thoughts; ceases to kick against
circumstances, but begins to use them as aids to his more rapid progress, and as a means of discovering the hidden powers and possibilities within himself.



Humanity surges with uncontrolled passion, is tumultuous with ungoverned grief, is blown about by anxiety and doubt. Only the wise man, only he whose thoughts are controlled and purified, makes the
winds and the storms of the soul obey him.

Tempest-tossed souls, wherever ye may be, under whatsoever conditions ye may live, know this in the ocean of life the isles of Blessedness are smiling, and the sunny shore of your ideal awaits your coming. Keep your hand firmly upon the helm of thought. In the bark of your soul reclines the commanding Master; He does but sleep:b wake Him. Self-control is strength; Right Thought is mastery; Calmness is power. Say unto your heart, "Peace, be still!"

Up in flames.

The parallel between life and (Hatha) Bikram yoga is astonishing. I guess I shouldn't be surprised since yoga can be described as the process one takes to accomplish a goal. Striving towards control of the mind - through the realms of the body - in hopes of reacting to the world from a more peaceful place. This is my goal. I had a particularly intense session the other day. I don't know if the temperature was higher than normal or it was overly crowded in the studio...but it was physically intense and seemingly extra hot. It's amazing to me how this experience directly reflects the difficulties we encounter in life. The floor postures during the second-half of the class always take the most stamina and willpower. Laying in Savasyna (the resting position in between each posture), I literally felt like my entire body was in flames; it wasn't painful but it was uncomfortable. My mind (the Ego part of it) kept screaming for me to get up and leave...to find an end to the discomfort. I think this bodily burning sensation, caused by the intensity of the poses, represent life's troubles, anxieties, issues and our emotional reactions to such difficulties. Our first instinct (driven by the Ego) is usually to hide or eliminate those negative feelings whether through avoidance, repression or addiction. Within the realm of doing yoga, you have the stillness and quiet to overcome those ego-driven feelings through breathing and positive energy. When I feel taxed, as in I want to run out of the studio, I allow my Higher Mind to take over. For me, the Higher Mind, or Inner Self, or whatever you want to call it, is the most authentic part of who I am. It's the inner spirit and soul, the deepest realm of being. Maybe you can call it Intuition but it's the part of you that speaks the truth. I embrace the heat, the exhaustion, the burning sensation and use the energy of breathing to maintain control and continue the practice. I repeat positive affirmations to myself and try to embrace my body in a blanket of stillness and awareness. This is the way we can all deal with those pesky situations that will happen in our lives. I think you have to embrace the troubles that happen to you, feel the emotions that may evolve but rely on the strength of your Inner Spirit to control your rapid-fire egotistical actions. This way, you can face the issues head on and overcome them with an attitude of calmness and confidence.

Being undaunted by troubles.

Laugh when troubles come your way. 

Nothing conquers calamity better than that.

A tide of troubles will recede the moment 

an intelligent man's mind collects itself to face them.

Trouble itself they send away troubled 

who do not trouble themselves at the sight of it.

Troubles will feel troubled facing a man who faces them 

like the determined bullock that wades through every difficulty.

Though massed upon him like a mountain, 

a man's afflictions will be crushed by his undaunted will.

Those who do not clutch their wealth, boasting, "I have so much," 

will not, in poorer times, bemoan, "I have so little."

Knowing this body to be the prey of misery, 

high souls, expecting troubles, do not find them troublesome.

Declaring difficulties to be perfectly natural, 

those who do not pursue life's pleasures will not suffer its sorrows.

He who does not long for joy in joy 

will not suffer sorrow in sorrow.

The man who does not distinguish pain from pleasure 

becomes so distinguished that even enemies hope to pay homage.