You Are a Strawberry Margarita

You're so sweet it's a little overwhelming, and people are a little afraid of corrupting you... It's a little difficult to imagine you with a margarita. And you're truly a different person after you've kicked back a couple!

What Flavor Margarita Are You?

I just had the most fabulous astrological analysis reading (somewhat topic specific) from one of our fellow members, Tom Sidebottom, of CosmicTiming.com (yes, go check it out, you can get your personal transits to review daily! highly recommend this!).

SO... the focus, of course, was about my current situation with my career ... the cool thing was that in order to understand my current situation, he brought up analysis of years past to show patterns and how I reacted at those times - what was my response to the pattern of the energy.  So by seeing what I had done in previous life circumstances, it was easier grasp where I am now... it was like a sigh of relief, sorta.  You know, like... *this* had to happen when this transit occurred and when you responded like this, *that* happened.

One of the things that fascinated me was an analysis of a pattern that would have occurred when I was VERY young; so he asked me what "goals" did I focus on at that time... of course, being around 7 years old, I remember elementary school having "career days" ... the age old question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" ... at that time, I wanted to be a Herpetologist - more specifically, snakes.  So at that age when the same pattern was going on in the planetary transits... I wanted to faces my most terrifying fear... snakes, to LEARN about them, or conquer the fear through knowledge.  How incredibly appropriate is that for me NOW with these transits appearing again in my life???  I now have the space and ability to *actually* face my fears and act... rather than intellectualize about them (I read a LOT of books about snakes back then).

I am in a period of "cleaning out old, unnecessary" energies... preparing to take a giant leap forward.  The thing is ... and I loved this ... I don't have to give up my desire to find stability WHILE pursuing my deepest passions towards working for myself, too.  I can satisfy my Capricorn energies to have a stable job; while nurturing my entrepreneurial desires to be creative, empowering others, and work for myself.

I am also in a period of realizing my own personal, spiritual development through a form of revolutionary thinking/acting.  Actualizing what I have been thinking for this growing period... manifesting... making it REAL!  Just thinking about the potential makes me get all tingly and excited!

And I guess the "challenge" that was presented was the transit that involves Neptune and Venus... you know, Neptune ... the planet that deals with spiritual reality, transcendence, lack of interest in the physical... now tie that with Venus, the planet of passions, desires, relating with others ... I've done this before... I've seen the divine in others, to the point that may not see the person for where they *are* at this time.  It's also kinda like "over-romanticizing" someone's characteristics ... and then getting disappointed when they don't live up to those projected characteristics.  So my challenge is to be aware and responsible for what I project onto others in my life... in the area of my passions... (uhm, hello... huge ideals were set towards my previous employer, and yes... I was disappointed when they didn't live up to those characteristics that I had swimming in my head about this "spiritual company" ... lesson learned on that one... it's not just people, but many things that can become projected upon).

So, what I've walked away with (and this is the summarized version) is that I can start building my own business opportunity WHILE working for another company.  And then I can take off on this "New Charge Forward" as I see it to be... pursuing my dreams, helping others, practicing spiritual counceling/healing - dynamics that I understand and can give to others - and having fun while doing all this.

I deeply appreciate the time and efforts that Tom took to sit with me on the phone and go over what he had found to help me see where I currently AM... and some potential actions for moving forward.  He is brilliant and I can not recommend highly enough that you all make an effort to go check out his website ... and if you feel so inclined, have him do a personal analysis for you as well - you will be thankful you did!  It was like talking with a best friend about my life, honestly!  His passion for what he does comes across in such a beautiful way, that it doesn't sound like a scientist talking at you ... but a great friend who has seen you move through life and now has some helpful advice.

You can message Tom directly here on Gaia... but do take the time to go check out his website:  http://www.cosmictiming.com and sign up for the analysis that you can check on daily!

Over the past year, and then much more frequently since I colored my hair pink... people have been noting to me that I resemble Annie Lennox ... or have "that look" ... so I went meandering today to remind myself of what she looks like... and after looking through quite a few photos... Yeah... I kinda do ... and actually, am now inspired to try a couple of other short styles out from some of the images I came across.

Here's one that I found that has about the same length on bangs that I have right now...


so, just imagine that with a soft shade of pink... and sure enough... we could be related!! LOL

I love finding similarities between myself and others... people have also said that I kinda look like Toni Colette: 

I'm struggling to see that similarity a bit though... 

So...

I am curious if any of you have had that kind of comparison before... do you think you look like a celebrity, or any of your friends say you look like someone?  Do share!!!

This is so challenging for me to write this out.

I just received a phone call from my older sister telling me about my (ex)brother-in-law passing away yesterday.  He was only 40 years old ... but his lifestyle choices shortened his life. 

This hurts deeply because Charles was someone that I knew back in highschool ... he and my sister met, dated and married then... he was a very large part of my life during that time.  I spent a great deal of time living with them during different periods ... and he was always warm and welcoming to have a space for family.  "Family takes care of it's own" seemed to be a strong/powerful thread in the energetic make-up of his family. 

He had the most awesome sense of humor... he was very intelligent... and was very athletic in high-school ... such a promising life.  He joined the Air Force and became a weather-observer, meteorologist... which I had the pleasure of going to observe him doing at the air force base... I saw the integrity of his work in practice.  He was extremely dedicated.

He was also a very fun, party-driven kind of person... celebration of life. 

I'm not sure where the shifts occurred ... where he and my sister grew apart, where the energy shifted in his life and his hurt became a wound he repressed.

I just saw him in June of this year... at his daughter's (my niece's) high school graduation.  It's just so hard to know that just months ago he was here with us... physically present.  He looked well-enough at that time... it's amazing what goes on *inside* the body when we don't deal with Life lessons... what we let "eat away" at us... what we kill with chemicals and what-not. 

This is a powerful lesson for me - yet again - that this physical world is Impermanent.  What it means and what decisions/choices we make that make it manifest so much more quickly.

My heart goes out to his children: James, Charity & Luke... and to his current wife, Ruth.  All my loving energy is focused on their family right now, because like I noted earlier... this is an incredibly CLOSE family.  They take you in... they care for you... I can relate to all of them at this time and reflect upon my own experiences with him. 

Please send a prayer out to the North family at this time... though you may not know them... I am certain you'd all love them as much as I do.  They are good people.  And this loss has got to be devistating for them.


My own prayer:  Love hold these people in your arms; comfort them, be with them so they can process this life change; empower them to live their lives to the fullest in honor of and in rememberance of the dear loved one that has moved onto the next realm from them.  Blessed Be.

I've never loved coffee as much as I do now, after reading this lovely anaolgy story:

      This one will take a minute or two to read, but please make the
       time.  It will bless your heart and make you think.  You will
       never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.
       
       A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and
       how things were so hard for her.  She did not know how she was
       going to make it and wanted to give up.  She was tired of
       fighting and struggling.  It seemed as one problem was solved, a
       new one arose.
       
       Her mother took her to the kitchen.  She filled three pots with
       water and placed each on a high fire.  Soon the pots came to
       boil.  In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed
       eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans.  She let
       them sit and boil; without saying a word.
       
       In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners.   She fished
       the carrots out and placed them in a bowl.  She pulled the eggs
       out and placed them in a bowl.   Then she ladled the coffee out
       and placed it in a bowl.  Turning to her daughter, she asked,
       'Tell me what you see.'
       
       'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied.
       
       Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the
       carrots.  She did and noted that they were soft.  The mother
       then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it.  After
       pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.
       
       Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee.  The
       daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.  The daughter then
       asked, 'What does it mean, mother?'
       
       Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the
       same adversity: boiling water.  Each reacted differently.   The
       carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting.  However, after
       being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became
       weak.  The egg had been fragile.  Its thin outer shell had
       protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the
       boiling water, its inside became hardened.  The ground coffee
       beans were unique, however.  After they were in the boiling
       water, they had changed the water.
       
       'Which are you?' she asked her daughter.  'When adversity knocks
       on your door, how do you respond?  Are you a carrot, an egg or a
       coffee bean?
       
       Think of this: Which am I?  Am I the carrot that seems strong,
       but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose
       my strength?
       
       Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes
       with the heat?  Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a breakup,
       a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened
       and stiff?  Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I
       bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?
       
       Or am I like the coffee bean?  The bean actually changes the hot
       water, the very circumstance that brings the pain.  When the
       water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor.  If you
       are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get
       better and change the situation around you.  When the hour is
       the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate
       yourself to another level?  How do you handle adversity?  Are
       you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?