Rules of the Game

Today we lost a game. Losing hurts sure, but I was damn proud of how we played. A new team, new ideas and a new level of skills have been required.
Everyone put in 100%, so I am proud of the score. We lost by only a one point, we will win next time.
I spoke at length to the fire starter about the practise required. These small pitches have only been the pre-season games. The real season starts on the 1st July and we will be ready!

Moon is in Aries, thus the fire in the belly.

Bring it on, bring it on, bring it on!

Last call from the Moon Goddess

Last quarter moon. Time to let go. What is it you need to release?
If you are into casting magic, then now is the time to do you banishment spells. ( If you are getting rid of unwanted house guests, for example, always try to send them somewhere nice).

This is a perfect time in business to look at the last few weeks and see what is working. Think about where you want to put your attention and energy when the new moon come to light.
Look over your action plans, did you get done what you hoped over this last cycle ?
Now is not the time to start new projects, particularly with the Mercury Retrograde energy. Instead look at old projects that you have not finished. Use this energy to gently revisit, without guilt or shame and see your plans are still relevant to you now.



P.S A candle meditation is always lovely during this phase of the moon.
( Also a glass of wine or other relaxer of choice. No judgment , no praise, whatever gets you through the night.)

Mercury Retrograde sux in the Uranus

Too funny. I swear Mercury retro throws things up when we need to get the hell on with it, forcing us to reflect and process and wait.
Yesterday, I tried to get my digital/connective issues at home sorted. Another month, the little techie hobbit told me. Of course, why would I even try to do this before then? Mercury is taking care of it for me.
Word from the skies is, don't make any serious decisions right now. No, really. If you have to make one then cross your fingers.
I having trouble with what to write about. Neptune is giving a me a serious case of the illusions.
I have nothing to say and everything going on.


More later if something brilliant comes.

Merc alert

No, I do not mean the car, I mean the planet. Mercury is going backwards on the very day I am trying to negotiate a contract. I should just stall. I wonder if I can do anything to offset it ?

Meanwhile, in the thick of it at HQ! Looking for a rock star at work! Hard to get but great when we do! Then we will be ready to tour the world!

Pop on your party hat!

It is my birthday and Full Moon in Scorpio to boot. My Moon is opposing Saturn, which requires me to do nothing. Stay protected and have a good long think as to why every year I feel lonely and isolated on my birthday.
Why? Because every year bloody Saturn opposes my Moon.
Ha!
I used to be envious of those who could have a festival for a week on their birthday.
Now I know that this is not for me in my chart. My birthdays are about lessons. About shining a light on what I have learned over the past year.
My astrological birthday was actually yesterday, when my sun conjunct my sun. So today is actually only my calendar birthday. This makes it easier. I felt like I got away with my birthday and no one knew. Now I get to work on my book and lunch with The Contessa and Blessed. Perfect!

The Full Moon today is in Scorpio. Usually a notoriously hard times for Taureans.
Scorpios are about own their merde. They never blame, instead probably self blame a little too much.
Using this energy, this is a great time to look at what you want to change about yourself?
Perfect, if you are having a birthday!
There are lots of people using the phoenix rising from the ashes as a metaphor. I think of it has losing everything you own and possess in a fire. Who would you be? What would you wear? Are you being true to yourself ? Give yourself a chance to start again.

The Scorpio Full Moon gives you an opportunity to be this person. Even if you make one change, one truth.

Let the Scorpio Moon set you free.

I am going to think on this. Where am I not living my truth?
I may or may not get back to you on this. Depending how ugly the Scorpio truth!

Playing nice in the sandpit

Venus ( love and good times) is doing wonderful things in our skies, making it a super, duper time to have meetings. Venus is sharing some gorgeous energy with Jupiter (luck) and Uranus
(power).

If you are planning to talk turkey with someone or shake your money maker then hop to it peeps. Now is the time to make it happen!
Think group hugs without the awkward silence after the release.

I have so many things to do I am laughing at the ridiculousness of it all. I have piles of papers around me in a quasi-managed state. What I have to next is write my list of priorities. One of them was to blog, of course. No, I do not have time to do this post but without it I would be chasing my tail all day. This is like a promise to myself.
I want to walk out of today satisfied that I am on top of my worklife.

So I embrace the challenge and with the power of the planets on my side, I cannot fail.
So I will, in this order:

• Get a coffee
• Write a list of what I have to do
• Write next to them the dates I want them done by
• Get a move on!
  

That old devil Chiron

Chiron is a shit. No, really!

Chiron was a centaur ( half man- half horse), who, unlike the other centaurs was a righteous dude. He knew all sort of things about medicine and astrology and was also a parttime soothsayer.
Chiron and the other half horsies were wounded in the leg with a poisoned arrow during a battle over raw foods and organic wine. (This is my version and I am sticking to it!)
Chiron gave up immortality so he could save the god Prometheus, the god of fire. This is celebrated in astrology with the constellation of Sagittarius.
Yadayadayada.

Chiron in astrology symbolises the wound that we come to this lifetime with. Depending on where it is placed in your chart. In which house, which aspect and which signs, Chiron can make you hurt in places you didn't even know you had!
Today my Moon opposed my Chiron. Of course it did. My Sun, Saturn and Chiron are all holding hands and stirring up shit. So all the old wounds reopened and every little crappy thought, fear and nagging voice, came up and said "Hi!"
Good times huh?
My chart said it was half the day. I got through this morning with ease, thinking I had waited it out in my lovely home. But no! It was the second half of the afternoon when Chiron came and bit me in my Moon!
Seriously you name it, I went there this afternoon!
And then suddenly it stopped. There was peace. And the birds sung again.

Chiron is our greatest wound. The void that remains unfulfilled within us. The half man half horse who represents the human and animal that dwells within us. It is through these voids that we seek out the values that define our lives. These values are what fuels our drive towards our destiny. Once we live that destiny then we are living on purpose and doing the Plan right!
So in fact, without these Chiron wounds inflicted on us then we would not push ourselves to heal. When we heal, we make our unconscious conscious and then we get onto our path in life.
I could crap on about Chiron being the dichotomy between senses and heart, time and space and unconscious and conscious. But what I really want to say is...

Chiron is a shit.

Chop wood, carry water

Seriously, before enlightenment chop wood and carry water. after enlightenment, chop wood and carry water.
I thought about this yesterday, while I lay in an operating suite waiting for a minor procedure to get underway. As I stared at the rows of tapes and gauzes and wondered about enlightenment. Enlightenment did not stop me from under the knife. Enlightenment was not currently topping up my bank balance. Enlightenment was not going make a dinner when I got home and put the washing in the dryer. So, Enlightenment means what, exactly?
Bliss?
Understanding we are all part of the microcosm and together we are amazing?
A collection of cells in a petri dish thinking we are better than all the other cells out there in other petri dishes?

Choosing to be conscious of our experience can be tiring. Always trying to put together the signs and the 'accidents'. Trying to remember what we did last time when in hard times and trying to process it faster , so as to get through the experience better.
I mentioned recently to someone that there is a part of me that was envious of those who never questioned. Those who lived unconsciously. Accepted the news and the TV. Accepted less than they deserved and accepted living with their fears, day in and day out.
Yet, I know I would rather be as I am. Questioning. Out of line. Stirring the pot and setting my own bottom line.

Buddha says that the greatest gift we can give to others is our enlightenment. This is what I try to do with this blog. Share with my readers my small steps towards my bliss. Each step I take,
I move towards something amazing inside me. Unveiling part of myself and popping it like a house plant, into the sunshine. Shining the light on my darkest self has been enlightenment.

As I sit in my study, staring out at the glorious day. I am thankful for health, love and laughter and most of all I am thankful for the chopping wood and carrying water. The Vietmanese activist and Monk wrote that 'There is no enlightenment outside of daily life.'
He is right. He is a monk. Who am I to argue? Just lying on the table yesterday gave me time to ponder. Pondering has bought me to this post. This post has bought me to understanding this - I am always learning. I am always trying to do better wherever I can. I am flawed. I am perfect.
I am.

So are you.

Off to chop wood and carry water.

The New Moon

The New Moon has washed onto shore new challenges and new opportunities on our shore. This is why I have been off the radar for a few days. I have many, many things happening at the moment, all of it wonderful and crazy.
I read a quote today from Michael Gerber, author of The E-Myth that inspired me,

"The difference between great people and everyone else is that great people create their lives actively, while everyone else is created by their lives, passively waiting to see where life takes them next. The difference between the two is the difference between living fully and just existing."

No chance of that happening to me anytime soon. When we had a large opportunity taken from us earlier this year, that thew all our plans into array, we chose to face it down and take action. There was no way that this moment was going to define who we are and what we wanted to achieve as company.

So now, here we are in the middle of the all the hard work from us staring down the drama of the beginning of 2008. Naturally, all the work has come in at once and this is a contest in itself. So we have taken the dare, placed our bets and rolled the dice.

Let the cards fall where they may.

Support

Conversations with The Archer at work about how we only exist as a unit. We are much more powerful as a company, when we all pull together. This togetherness allows us to be able to move forward as a collective in the desired direction. Working together requires understanding and trust. I always happy for independent initiative but not with the exclusion of thinking about others in the team.

The Archer and I wondered if it was immaturity as he, Gandalf and I are the old people in the building. Maturity cannot be forced. Sometimes people are not ready and the readiness can only come with age.

Maturity is what makes you react with the appropriate emotion or behaviour to what is happening around you. We all have lapses when we revert. Certain emotions can force reverting and the inner child reappears. Nothing triggers old childhood wounds and shitty behaviours like workmates who drive us potty. I suppose because we cannot always choose who we work with. Workmates can have as much as an affect on us as our family can have, another set of relationships we can't choose.

Maturity comes in different ways and in different guises. Anytime you are responsible for something, someone, then you begin to mature. Especially if things do not always go according to plan.

I am off to mother as Gandalf is at the coalface.

What did you say?

Embrace the Moon in Gemini and talk your way out of it.
The Moon in Gemini enables you to communicate. What is it you want to talk about? Is there a conversation that you need to have? Want to have? Should have?
Draw down the Gemini moon and speak your truth.

Side effects of a Gemini Moon are: Swinging wildly from conversation to conversation. Flirting. Lack of direction. Ants in your pants.

The Moon is in Pisces and all through the Genie bottle......

Whenever the Moon is in Pisces the dreams are more potent. Last night I dreamed Blessed was a fully functioning, out of the broom closet witch. Blessed wrote me a spell and she told me that the way to bring magic into your life is to ask the energy to stand by your side. Not to have it behind you or in front of you but to invite it to walk with you on your journey.

Then Blessed got into her giant oyster shell, closed it and I woke up.
There also seemed to be many special FX in the dream, like a Stevie Nicks video clip and Blessed was wearing a green 'I Dream of Jeannie' outfit, like Jeannies naughty sister. It made sense in the dream. It always make sense in the middle of the dream.

Makes sense as I think about it. Will hold run it up Blesseds' flagpole and see what flies.

Hello, is it me you're looking for?

I spent time with the Fire Starter at a new business pitch today. Interesting. We were relaxed and fabulous. I realised when we left that it was not actually as to whether we could do the work for the client but in fact whether we would enjoy working with each other doing the project.
Everything in business is built on relationships. We can find anyone that can provide a particular service but we want the relationship that leaves the least marks. The connection where feel understood and taken care of. That is what we want in any relationship, business or personal. To be protected.

I also wouldn't mind a clay sculpture of myself, like Lionel received from his blind
potential lover/student. I wonder if he told her that she made him look like a character from the Harlem Globetrotter cartoon. Probably not, then he wouldn't be able to dance on the ceiling with her or whatever metaphor Lionel has for 'relationship connection'.

Meanwhile, Venus enter Taurus tomorrow. Venus is the natural home of Taurus so expect all relationships to become easier and more special. Taureans desire harmony and stability so do something to honour the skies.

Tell someone you love them, spend time in art galleries or in nature - somewhere that surrounds you with your idea of beauty or make someone a clay sculpture of themselves like Lionels girlfriend did for him.


Hello and goodbye.

Being a leader can be a bitch

The new puppy has had a session with a dog trainer. I was a little distracted at the beginning as he reminded me of Harlan Pepper from 'Best in Show', so for the purposes of this post, I will hereafter refer to the trainer as 'Mr Pepper.'

What I liked about Mr Pepper, was his no nonsense approach to training dogs and his theory and understanding of wolf pack behaviour. Mr Pepper explained to me that a dog will naturally step up top the leaders podium if no one else in the house takes the position.
However, being a leader is stressful and a leader with no real responsibilities becomes a stressed out dog with crazy arse behaviors. This is what happened to my last dog. Sure we loved her but we let her be the boss and then created and continued outrageous dog neurosis.

In the pack, the Alpha dog, who becomes the leader is not the biggest or the strongest, but in fact the calmest and the most alert. The strongest one is usually the Beta dog, the wingman of the Alpha dog. I was thinking about this in relation to leading a business or being in a leadership position in a company. Often, the ones who are the worst leaders are the ones who can't handle the responisbility. Or those who don't have any real power to be responsible, so they act out and chase their tail and snap and growl at others in the pack.

The lowest in the pack is the Omega dog, the court jester of the pack, the one we all laugh at and who we allow to eat last. I hope there are no Omegas in my company. I know of Omegas in other organisations, though. Omegas are important, they keep the team spirit us, hence my need to hire people with a sense of humour!

Mr Pepper explained that being the Alpha is hard and the whole survival of the entire pack depends on the Alphas knowledge and cunning. It's future forward thinking and protection from outside dangers. I understand this feeling. It is hard being the leader at times. Sometimes I feel weighed under from the responsibility to keep the cogs turning, the running on the mouse wheel can be very, very tiring.

When times are good and the caribous are running then we can play but when the famine comes then the leader has to make hard decisions. The weakest and most vulnerable must be left behind. The strong eat first and there are no new puppies to join till the grass is green again. Exactly the same in business. We have made some hard decisions over the last 12 months, but we know now that the caribou and moose are running again and so I am confident for a comfortable winter.

I am off to howl at the moon.

Ordinary Brillance

The Healer and I spoke early this morning. I had made this session a while ago. Perfect timing as ever.

We spoke of Greatness and how it is often disguised as Ordinary. All that glitters is not gold and all that jazz. Too often we wait for the strike of lightening, the rainbow and the orchestra. It doesn't come that way. It comes in sunny days, a perfect coffee. Friends, shared meals and roses. Cats sitting in morning sun, on stone walls and trains running on time. Chance meetings that are actually coordinated by the Stars. Music that takes you away. Beauty in old wrinkled faces and young chubby legs.

Transformation is the same. Before and after, you still have to chop the wood and carry the water.

I am the same but different, as you are too. Moving towards who we were when we were born. Once we were perfect. Our whole life we are trying to get back to that place, that state of being. being the knowing, without praise or judgment. Just being.

I am.

Looking forward

Discussing with The Good Doctor yesterday our ability to predict peoples pregnancies through dreams. Interesting concept. I thought I was mad for years but now I just accept it. It's what I do and now The Good Doctor does too.
It is a nice dream to have, better than predicting world events that end in tragedy. The trauma of seeing a plane crash or fly into buildings but not being able to do a damm thing about it would be almost too much to bear. What is the point of such a gift, you would wonder?

I dream about lovely things, mostly. Orange trees in fruit the night before my sister got the all clear from her cancer. Last night I dreamed I sold 300,000 books! Wow!
I will let you know if that happens.

Meanwhile, nice little article on precognitive dreamers guilt here.

P.S Grand Trine completes this morning. So use it to finish some tasks that are still waiting for your attention.
I will be writing the strategic plan with Gandalf for the biz this morning and being all about the future.

'Precognitive planning' of sorts.

Happy hour

Why on earth would anyone start a project that 1) requires funds and 2) buy a house when Saturn is squaring Jupiter for 9 months. Well, this is what I did! I have 2 projects that require money and time and with this transit, it is as easy as climbing Mt Everest with a can of coke and a big stick as my only supplies.
I think this transit is all about time delays.
I have the ideas, the text, the confidence and self esteem. The Universe has not yet caught up with my beliefs that anything is possible.

On one hand I have Jupiter, the Lord of all expansion and possibilities, and on the other hand Saturn, Commander of the Fun Police. Right now, I am juggling the balance between faith and secularism. Optimisms and realism.

It also does not help that Saturn is Square Neptune as well, so I have no idea as to what is real and what is imagined. Not my best transit of late.

I am trying not to whine, instead see I would like to see it differently. What am I supposed to learn from these transits? Astrology is a tool that is best looked at with your hindsight spectacles planted firmly on your nose.

I suppose I will have some wise persepctive on it when its all over, meanwhile. I ask myself, 'Can I have some cheese with my wine?'

Anyone for Cluedo?

Full moon in Scorpio this weekend. Great for workings around self promotion 101, work, secrets and sex. Great for a working to try and get pregnant, if not trying, then be a safety officer and practise safe sex.

Full Moons are all about wishes. The Full Moon in Scorpio is all about secrets. Here's an idea! what about you drop an emotional net into your heart and drag up the long held, secret, the one thing you have longed for. Admit it!

I am sitting here writing, while my littlest changleing shows me his marble collection. I have to stop every few words and hold the little glass balls up to the light. I have the small puppy on my other side asleep and life is pretty dammed peaceful. So, I can't think of any dark secret I want in my life, beside a little light from Lakshmi on the business at the moment, to help us into the flow. However, I trust that things will work out the way they are Meant to. They always have in the past.

Looking deep into yourself to see what it is that you really, really want can be confronting. I recently heard a tragic tale of an emotional and violent act directed at the self by someone who spent too long denying what was inside them. Denial is like a volcano bubbling inside you, one day its gonna blow and the mop up will not be easy. Trust.

Scorpio Moons, new or full are times for reflection and admission. Last night I gave a dinner party and with the light of the moon, I freely admitted to the table that I did not cook at thing at the table. It was all bought. Instead of slaving over a stove, I spent the afternoon playing in my new garden. Nobody cared, everyone ate and I was happy. As an earth sign, who is a pretty good cook, I was surprised by my lack of guilt over not nourshing my guests with my own food. I didn't care a whit. I didn't need adolation or acclaimation for my food, people came to see us and our new house. In fact, I enjoyed the dinner more. It was yummy, Syrian chicken and rice and salad. Sticky date pudding, icecream and a lovely Róse from one of the guests.

Then cups of tea and Zoolander on the couch.

Admit it Dreamweaver, I am a lazy hostess. And I loved it!

Grand times

I am deciding to decide that I am moving forward as though all my wishes will be fulfilled.
We need a few things to fall into place at work, so instead of freaking out about it, I am determined to act as if everything already is. It is beyond positive thinking. It is putting myself in the future. Positive Futuristic Summoning or PFS. I made that up, I know, it's a bit lame but its what I am working on. What I am really trying to do is bring the 'greenlight' flow into my work.

All of this activity is supported by the Grand Trine. The Grand Trine is when 3 planets can easily flow the energy between each other. The Trine at the moment is between Mercury, Pluto and Saturn. The rockin' thing about Trines are that they don't need you to do much to activate the energy. But...... if you know about the energy then you can get it to work with you. That is what I love about astrology, knowing the energy, the tone for the day, so to speak.
I wished there was an astro report along with the weather every morning. Imagine the weather girl said, "Today, there is a Grand Trine which will enable all sorts of fabulousness to happen. Stay alert, say yes to everything and do something out of the ordinary."

My out of the ordinary was to buy my changelings a tiny little puppy. A phonecall to Fishgirl gave me the perspective I sorely needed and when I saw the little fellas face I knew he was the one (see above).

The Grand Trinefecta of sorts. A new dog, a new house and a new attitude.

The magic continues, finishing end of Monday with new intentions and supported by the Sun entering Taurus, a fertile ground indeed, for turning blueprints into concrete.

Make the most of it Grand Poobahs and have a Grand Trine of a weekend.

Cleaning the windows

I have been in and out of the business for a few weeks, with school holidays and moving etc. I came back Monday and struggled with the ball of string that needed to be untangled.
Then a day off yesterday with a sick changeling. Back to it today. I pushed through the fog and when I left, I had some clarity. I know where I stand, what the score is, where I need to be. Now I can get down to work.
Nothing like a Moon in Virgo to get you into looking at the detail.
Errant blogger will back soon when the fog clears a little more,