Grab-Blog

DIRECT VS. RETROGRADE There is a split in the chart for today. Half of the planets are direct and in a row of houses while the other half are retrograde and in a row of opposite houses. What madness might occur from this, especially after yesterday's solar eclipse? This might be a great opportunity to try something you wouldn't normally explore.

A few friends of mine have subscribed to the madness that is the blogosphere. There is a great deal of joy to found in blogging and in reading blogs. I would like to introduce them to my readers.

If you love sweets, this first blog will whet your appetite. The Chocolate Swirl is a dessert company run by a friend of mine in New York. There are numerous confections that they offer, including truffles, cupcakes, cakes, brownie pops, and cookies. They ship throughout the country and will create specially designed desserts for numerous occasions. (I sound like an ad, don't I? I can't help it. I love The Chocolate Swirl.) When my mother graduated from college, I commissioned a cake that was made from two books and a graduating cap. It looked awesome; everyone commented on it. They just started a blog, complete with pictures and advice, one post of which is what you can do with leftover cupcakes. I would have never thought to use them the way The Chocolate Swirl does! Curious? Or hungry?

The second blog is a new blog by an author friend of mine. If you like the Star Child Trilogy, but feel that it's too old for your kids, you might want to check out The Wonky Witch. Author Becky Titelman has recently started a blog to track her endeavors with this fabulous series. Kids will find endless fun on the Wonky Witch website and book three is almost out! The adventures of Maude Sinks and her friends in Abracadabra Academy are wonderful for any age, but especially those who haven't quite reached Harry Potter or Star Child level yet. The adventures of Becky herself are a fascinating read for anyone who is interested in children's literature or enjoys writing themselves.

Whether your passion is sweets or books, be sure to check out these fabulous blogs!

Drink Up!

PISCES IN THE 2ND HOUSE
Pisces, sign of illusions and escape, is completely encompassed in the 2nd House, the house of sensuality, food, and possessions. People will show different ways of escaping, but through strange twists on practical means, especially imbibing and possibly drugs. Uranus's influence will add some eccentricity to the mix.

My grandmother is overfond of reminding me of a statement I made as a child, when I declared that I would never drink alcohol. I was maybe seven or eight. Naturally, I was unaware of what alcohol can do as far as good feeling is concerned. Nor did I understand that people drank to escape.

Needless to say, I have broken my former vow. I mandate that a promise made under duress is invalid and ignorance is certainly duress. I have had more alcohol in the past five days than I have in quite awhile. Oh, don't look at me like that; there are circumstances warranting a little alcohol and a wedding is certainly one of them. A friend in crisis is yet another. For those that know me, I am not a drinker by any stretch of the imagination and this is not because of any moralistic code. I don't like the taste of alcohol. Never have. The only alcohol I'll readily drink are sweet drinks or fruity wines (insert staple joke here).

It's interesting. Many people turn to alcohol or drugs for escape; to dull the pain or stress. Sometimes, I think it's a societal reaction. We know that's a routine for some. I know it. Strangely enough, I've said, "Man, I need a drink," but I never mean it. I just know that's what you're supposed to say. I know that's a natural thing to do. I still don't love the bite of alcohol. I don't even like being drunk. Don't get me wrong; I enjoy being tipsy. Yet, cross that line into drunk and forget it. I'm one of the most obnoxious creatures ever to walk the face of the Earth. Including Sarah Palin. I even annoy myself. There are very few drinks that I will willingly seek out purely for the taste.

I think it's fascinating that I react this way. It's almost Pavlovian. Okay, maybe not that far, but it's definitely a reaction. "Oh, you've had a hard day? A drink will help." Well, it's either that or cookie dough and honestly, given the choice, I'd rather eat cookie dough. I don't even like shots. I know that I am probably unique in this respect and if you enjoy alcohol, by all means, party on.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go have a glass of wine with dinner.

Using Your Beans

PLUTO IN CAPRICORN
I know what you're thinking. "Honestly, how many times can Jared talk about Pluto in Capricorn? We got it. Power backing career and ambition. There's only so much of that we can take." Well, folks, I hate to break it to you, but Pluto will be traveling through Capricorn for the next 15 years. So, the influence is highly general, but it's still quite useful as support for varying topics.

Today's topic: Coffee.

I'm just gonna say it. I hate coffee. I hate the taste, I hate the smell, I hate the flavor, I hate the pretension that accompanies the product. Perhaps this is because I never grew up with coffee-drinkers. No one in my household drank coffee. Interestingly enough, my father and sister now drink coffee, but my mother and I still don't.

I suppose I shouldn't hate coffee. It's probably just a misunderstanding, but coffee has always seemed somewhat aloof. Still, it's better than the relatives: latte; espresso; the twins, cappuccino and frappuccino; and the cold side of the family, the iced coffees. I'm also not a fan of when it marries one of my favorite friends, chocolate, and produces little mochas. However, I do get along well with the family friends: milk, sugar, cream.

Ironically, I've worked in two coffee serving capacities. I worked as a barista for a week. Why would someone who hates coffee work for a barista, you ask? Well, iI didn't plan on that. I applied at a Barnes and Noble, thinking that I would be working with books. In a cruel twist of fate, I was assigned a post at the cafe. The pervasive smell of coffee clogged the air. It was then that I learned the difference between a latte and a cappuccino and what rubbish that is. Folks have said that it's very different in Italy where such things are authentic, but in my experience, the difference being mostly the amount of milk and whether the steamer is placed at the top or the bottom of the milk, I was annoyed to find that such widely diverse names indicated so little.

Add to that the position as a waiter. Coffee became the bane of the morning. Everyone wanted coffee with its varying accoutrement. Gracious, there is no such drink that has quite as many conditions. If you must drink coffee, people, drink it black! That's how it comes. It's supposed to be bitter. If not, there's sugar on the table. And goodness, people are particular about their coffee! This is too hot. This is too cold. This is too sweet. This is this; this is that. I'm not Coffeelocks. Make it at home and get it just the way you want it. Don't drive me all over the diner for two Splendas and a Sweet N Low and heated milk, etc.

Like I said, perhaps coffee and I just haven't had the right conversation, but I don't think we will ever have the relationship that others seem to have and I think that's because it's just too high maintenance. It demands far too much of its partners.

Those are grounds for dismissal.

Food For Thought

MERCURY IN TAURUS
Mercury, planet of the mind, is moving through the sign of food and sustenance, Taurus, which currently sits in the 6th House, the house of health. A focus on what we eat will take precedence in our mentalities. Now might be a great time to do a food journal. See what you're eating.

That's for those of you who are eating. Seems like there aren't a lot of people who eat on a regular basis. I have many friends who have said to me, "Oh, I totally forgot to eat today." Or, "This is the first time (6pm) that I've eaten since this morning." What? As a Jewish mother in a male body, it's my right as the friend to reprimand them for this, right? Especially when I can't seem to stop eating. Apparently, I'm eating for numerous friends.

Did I miss a memo? Is there a hunger strike that I haven't been informed of? On a side note, isn't "hunger strike" a misnomer? Wouldn't that term indicate that someone has stopped fasting?

I don't think I could fast for days on end (besides the physical element of it). "Fasting" is another misnomer, isn't it? Time never passes so slowly as when you're not eating on purpose.

The point is, you have to eat, people! Haven't there been numerous articles advocating frequent meals with small portions? Granted, I'm still working on the small portions. We all skip a meal now and then, but to make it a lifestyle is bordering on dangerous. It wouldn't register so strongly on my radar if it weren't so prominent among my friends. Look, folks, I said I would call and make sure you're eating (great, I've turned into my grandmother), but instead, I'm blogging about it.

Regardless of your reasons, not eating is going to cause reactions beyond this blog that you're not going to want. Your body will let you know that it needs food and believe me, that's not a level you want to reach. There comes a point where your body just crashes. I speak from experience and it's terrifying. Food is an important part of life and it's supposed to be enjoyed.

Chew on that.

Can You Stomach It?

VIRGO HANDLE
If you look at a chart for today, all of the planets, except for two, are lined up from Capricorn to Gemini, from the 5th House to the 10th, skipping the 7th. Interestingly enough, directly opposite the empty 7th House, you'll find our miscreant planets, the moon and Saturn, chilling in the 1rst House in Virgo. The picture appears to be a basket with Virgo as the handle. With Saturn in retrograde (see Retro-Virus), and the moon's influence, this is a very detail oriented time, where most of us will get bogged down in minutiae. Keep an eye out for the forests, people, and try not to let the trees get in the way. We may see an onset of anal-retentiveness as well as a focus upon health and cleanliness. Spring cleaning, get going!

Information about Virgo can be found here.

Virgo rules the stomach. Makes sense for a sign that's health concerned, no? Since we're getting a handle on Virgo, I got to thinking about the number of things that we ingest on a daily basis and what effect that can have on our bodies. I never really considered the reactions that I would have as a result of food or drink (except for alcohol, of course, but that's an obvious reaction). I'd heard the word caffeine bandied about, especially in connection to coffee and more recently, soda, but I never stopped to think about what caffeine would actually do to my body. Does it really wake you up? Is it really that bad for you? I mean, I jumped on the diet soda kick, but mainly because it seemed like everyone else knew what was going on. I know, jeep + cliff. Guess I answered that question, huh?

Recently, a friend mentioned to me that she takes green tea supplements because it curbs her hunger. Is that natural? Should we be staving off hunger? I mean, there are a million diets out there and hunger even has a face nowadays, according to Weight Watchers. There are also numerous food plans that are supposed to help you not "diet," but eat healthy. Yet, everyone I talk to keeps telling me something different. Carbs are bad. No, carbs are good as long as you're eating good carbs. Fruit is a good source of carbs, but man, they're high in sugar. Sugar is good for you for energy, but you don't want too much of it. Cereals are good sugar, but then you're back to carbs. And where are you getting your protein? You should be eating a fistful of protein at every meal. That's only if you're exercising. If you're exercising, you should be eating more. It depends on how many calories you've eaten that day. The number of calories you eat depends on how big you are and how much weight you want to lose. Weight is just a number; it's all about being healthy.

STOP! Everyone is different, but if everyone is different, how can we eat healthily for ourselves? Isn't there SOME kind of master plan that would teach us the basics of correct eating? I'm sure McDonald's has a great one and it's being instituted with their McCafe. For a country that's dealing with an obesity epidemic, you'd think it might behoove us to learn a little bit more about the foods we're eating. Like what those labels on the back of the foods mean. My yogurt today is 90 calories. Is that enough for a meal? Should I be eating more? Should it just be a snack? And some fat is good fat, I've been told. How much good fat should I have? Without a nutritionist, I haven't a clue what these numbers mean. What about organic? Are organic foods better for us?

Now is the perfect time for developing the right eating habits. After all, summer's coming up. Bathing suit season, folks. I have friends who are worried if they have a piece of pizza. Others claim sushi is the healthiest thing as long as you don't eat the rice. Still others say that you should eat only 2/3 of your meal, never the whole thing. Perhaps, but I want to be able to enjoy pizza without the guilt. I want to have my sushi and eat the rice too! What is eating healthy?

Far from being a nutritionist myself, I decided to do a little bit of research and I see that many sites recommend eating in moderation and eating often. They also suggest eating a wide variety of foods. Rainbow takes on yet another meaning. You want to eat as many colors as possible in a given day. Apparently, around 2000 calories is a healthy intake (guess I'm gonna need more than that yogurt). Carbs, protein, and fats are all needed, but in certain amounts - don't overdo it. Drink lots of water. One of my favorites was to slow down and enjoy the food more. Eating is a pleasure. I think the Taurean sun will help us with that. Obviously, these are basic guidelines, but hey, you gotta start somewhere.

These are all great rules, but I think the most important one that I found was listen to your body. Something that I haven't done for 27 years. Most of the time, it seems to know what it wants and I say if my body's craving chocolate, I'll give it chocolate - in moderation. In a lot of ways, our bodies have an intelligence all their own and they speak up often. It's a matter of listening and attuning. In addition to the quotidian blog, I plan to work on listening more to my own body and seeing what it wants. Maybe I'll get a better feel for what I should be eating (within the parameters of the general rules).

Time to get a better handle on food. Virgo, lead the way.