Words

Not Looking for a House

sarabecca — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 19:25:14 GMT

I found a house, now I just have to move!!! Can you say, Moving Party? :-D I just found out that I need to move by March 15th....which is a bit of a bummer but hopefully will all work out for the better. I would like a nice big house in a quiet spot close to town (Mt. Shasta). Must allow cats and have a washer dryer. I would like something with a good layout so that the bedrooms have some privacy. I am also open to a larger house to share. Please let me know if you have any leads. Thanks and blessings to the family!

Halloween Pics

sarabecca — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 17:13:54 GMT

Hiyas, I posted my halloween pics on Myspace, their interface makes it easy, and you can download at full resolution from there. http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewAlbums&friendID=7724031

Communication Breakdown: Mercury Retrograde

sarabecca — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 00:33:20 GMT

FYI my cell phone is off right now, be back soon. Meanwhile call the house at 9381375 or email me. THanks!

Stolen from Stillwater's Page

sarabecca — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 16:50:15 GMT

The Invitation It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing. It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive. It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain!I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it or fade it, or fix it. I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own, if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, to be realistic, to remember the limitations of being human. It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself; if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul; if you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy. I want to know if you can see beauty even when it's not pretty, every day,and if you can source your own life from its presence. I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand on the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, “Yes!” It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up, after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done to feed the children. It doesn't interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back. It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you, from the inside, when all else falls away. I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments. by Oriah Mountain Dreamer Currently reading : Truth in Dating: Finding Love by Getting Real By Susan Campbell Release date: 12 December, 2003

Why Myspace

sarabecca — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 15:09:25 GMT

Tribe is cool, the people here are some of the best, and interesting happenings and discussions...but....I like Myspace because I can express myself more there, in not just words and pictures but also in music, videos, comments, graphics and html magic. I switch up my music all the time and add videos etc as my mood changes. So check it out if you are so inclined, I just put up a new song and video that I am diggin. May we all be blessed with a multiitude of creative venues. :-D http://www.myspace.com/sarabecca

Aquarius Astrological Reading from Astrology Zone

sarabecca — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 18:13:51 GMT

Aquarius Horoscope for September 2007 By Susan Miller This will be a great month, for everything is changing now, dear Aquarius. It goes to show that just when you thought nothing would ever change and you were ready to give up, it does change, and life seems instantly brighter. A difficult relationship that you coped with valiantly over the past two years is no longer an issue. You may have left this relationship or stayed together, but now, thanks to the departure of Saturn from your seventh house of relationships, the strain you felt will come off and life will look very different. Your health, which may have suffered too since July 2005, will now have a chance to rebound. Your energy will become noticeably stronger and more consistent, and your endurance will increase as well. If you were concerned over the health of your father or a close male relative or male lover or mate, you can be cheered in knowing that this person's chances for recovery (or improvement, at the very least) have never been better. You've just come though one of the hardest aspects possible in astrology: Saturn opposed to the Sun. Now that's cause for celebration, for this aspect won't be back until 2034. You passed the cosmic tests with flying colors, and now you are stronger, wiser, and much more able to handle whatever life throws your way. Saturn had asked you to examine the whole area of relationships in your life, both serious, committed personal relationships, and the ones that were business in nature. You've learned a lot and when you enter new relationships you will keep your recent life lessons in mind. Over the past two years, you've examined the responsibilities and privileges that a close, committed partnership can bring. You were being challenged to find ways to relate that bring benefit to both sides, to both you and your partner. You were also urged to be realistic, practical, and objective, qualities you have naturally as an Aquarius - the zodiac's seeker and innovator - but you may not have used those qualities to help you navigate your close, committed relationships. Now, you do. If you have unrealistic expectations of marriage or of any type of business partnership, you found that out, and you know where you were "off" (if at all). You now see that not all partnerships are 50-50 all the time, and that sometimes the balance will tip one way and later, the other. If you were getting along well with your partners, one person who was close to you may have faced a difficult life crisis, and you had to be there to rally your partner's spirit and courage. This would be a more compassionate side to Saturn in the seventh house - by now you know which side of Saturn was expressed in your life. In this expression of Saturn, you became the lighthouse for your partner, and probably gave much more than you received, but you did so with a loving spirit, and the universe will reward you tenfold. Still, if you were sure the relationship you were part of was not worth the time and effort to fix, you were right to leave it, for Saturn was giving you the insight to understand that, too. If an important relationship did break apart over the past two years under Saturn's testing, you now have a better idea of how to avoid certain pitfalls and will have a better chance to build a strong relationship in the future. If the challenges you faced involved a business partner, you now know the questions to ask, the references to check, and the contractual phrases to add in the written contracts you sign. Life is a continual learning process, although lately you seem to have accelerated that process quite a bit. You are now more mature and more ready than ever to form solid partnerships in the future. You may feel as you read this that it's not true, that you come out of this period too bruised, and if you feel that way it's because you had a very hard experience. Yet time heals all wounds, and you will have future opportunities to find happiness, particularly in late 2008 and all through 2009, only about a year-and-a-half from now. At that time the universe will do a correction, and you will enter one of the happiest periods of your life when Jupiter enters Aquarius. Keep an open mind. Miracles happen all the time, and you are about to see the truth of this! Saturn will move to Virgo on September 2 for the next two years, and in that time, you will begin a cosmic learning course on money management. It will become abundantly clear that you will need to be present in all discussions involving money, for no one will be able to completely anticipate your wishes without you. Events that occurred at the lunar eclipse at the end of August showed you how unpredictable your financial life can be. Certain events in September, near the solar eclipse on September 11, will underscore this theme, too. To protect your security, you will need to devise new contingency plans to deal with life's messy ups and downs. The days surrounding September 9 and 11 may be upsetting, mainly because they will bring news about money that you would have never expected. To complicate matters, there's also a propensity for a partner or intermediary (such as a broker or lawyer) to make choices that will seem completely unintelligible to you. Speak up - you need to be heard! Still, as upset as you may be about one certain money matter that your partner might have created, Venus will move through your relationship sector too, a sure sign that you will be able to disagree with a partner, but in a loving way, while keeping all the trust and support that you share for each other intact. Keep an eye on the days surrounding September 8, when Venus will turn to stronger orbit, for you will be given a special clue then of the loving, healing power of Venus - and of love. It appears that it could be that another's views of money and spending are completely different from yours, so you'll have to talk about your approach to money openly or be continually frustrated by the bizarre things that keep happening. If you do explain things and your partner keeps messing things up, you can at least have the clear conscience that you tried. You may have to take more drastic steps to protect your financial interests, say, by having separate accounts, by changing brokers, or in any other way. As you go along, you will get very, very good at this process. As tough as some of the financial news can be near or just after September 11, you will also have an opportunity to increase your stash of cash too, as surprising as that might sound. That day will be, aside from a solar eclipse, the new moon in your "other people's money" sector, so there will be a good chance that you will get a shot at a one-time chunk of cash at that time. It will be up to you to make sure it is as large as you can get it to be! If, for example, you are negotiating with an insurance company over a claim, have all your facts ready and receipts too, to show them reasons why the check to you should be bigger. If the financial aid department of your college offers you less scholarship for the coming year, appeal it, and list all the persuasive reasons why they should reconsider. If you are to get a severance package because your company is merging, make them feel a little guilty about letting you go by having a list of all your accomplishments and contributions to the company. (Chances are that they ALREADY feel badly about you leaving. I am not saying this will happen, but should it happen, you know what to do.) In matters of romance, if you have not been dating, sizzling Mars will come to your rescue. This sexy planet will move through your fifth house of true love through most of the month, until September 28. Rarely have you had a better time to find someone that you will know instantly is right for you. As said, if you are attached, you will enjoy this month too, thanks to not only Mars (in a once in two year visit to your house of love) but also Venus (now in your committed relationship sector). Pluto's turn direct on September 7 will be a blessing to your career, acting like Miracle Grow to make the seeds you have planted in past months to suddenly shoot upwards. You will find that talks you've had will now show progress. It will be obvious to others too that your career is flourishing, so you couldn't be happier. A quick trip, taken alone or with someone new, at the full moon, September 26 (plus or minus four days), will be a joy. It will help you regain your footing and allow you to feel more in control of your life. You need time to meditate about recent events in a fresh setting, away from usual mundane concerns, so here's your chance. You need not journey far - a visit to a friend's cottage, wearing flip-flops, easy khakis, and cotton T's - will be all you need. You'll come back with a whole plan. If you were born on January 23, plus or minus five days, you will benefit most from this glamorous, expansive full moon on September 26. Romance will be best: September 3 - 4, 8, 11, 13, 17 - 18, 22, 26 - 27, and 30. Summary: Of all the signs, you've had some of the most difficult aspects over the past two years. In true Aquarius spirit, you bore your plight with courage and grace. Now, the heavy cloud cover lifts, ending a very challenging period. A feeling of renewal, optimism, and relief will follow. You have surmounted formidable odds to mind, body, or spirit (or, all three), so now that you are finished with your cosmic test, pat yourself on the back and congratulate yourself for having come through it all so well. You now know you are stronger than you had ever imagined. In the years ahead, you will use what you learned in the past to years to set up a firmer foundation for your life and to build more successful, productive relationships, both in business and personally, in your private life. The reason you have every reason to believe that life will take a powerful change for the better has to do with the move of taskmaster Saturn out of Leo (a sign that is six signs away from yours) on September 2. Saturn has been challenging you from just about every angle since July 2005, so your health may have even suffered, or your partner may have gone through a hard time. If you broke up, know that far, far better days lie ahead. When Saturn moves on into your eighth house of other people's money from September 2, 2007 to October 29, 2009, you will need to keep an eye on joint resources. Still, compared to your recent circumstances, you will find the coming two years far easier. We will discuss Saturn's new position in the coming month, but for now, know that you would be wise to set up financial controls to handle different types of contingencies in the coming two years. You should plan to join any discussion that has to do with your finances and don't rely on others to make decisions for you. Saturn does not act with the same power and strength in each house of the horoscope. Any planet will act in stronger, more concentrated ways when found on the north-south-east-west angles of a horoscope - specifically the first, fourth, seventh, and tenth houses. You had Saturn in the seventh house of partnerships for two years and that was at one of those sensitive points just mentioned. When Saturn moves into your eighth house he will move off that angle so his visit to your financial house will feel somewhat more manageable, and his influence will be a bit will less likely to invade other areas of your life. The solar eclipse on September 11 could bring troubling news about money, but you do have some good aspects at the time, so believe it or not, you CAN make this eclipse work for you by courageously arguing your case, and by bringing every fact you have at your disposal to bear. In the background, new love seems light and beautiful. If you are single and looking for love, Mars will help you all month, until September 28. Be sure to circulate! If you are attached, you will feel Mars' glow too, and Venus, now moving direct speed in your partnership sector will show you once and for all that a new day is dawning. Even if you disagree with your partner about money, you will find loving words and keep the bond that you have built between you strong. As you see, every member of your sign will benefit. If you suffered a breakup, you will have ample opportunity to meet intriguing new romantic interests. Don't let memories of your past cloud your vision of the future - you really do have a very improved picture ahead, and besides, you are moving toward one of your happiest years of your life, to start in late 2008 through 2009. This month you have a lovely, travel-oriented full moon on September 26. That full moon, operative plus or minus four days from that date, will allow you to relax, see new scenery, and generally find a mini-adventure in a locale new to you, yet not too far from home. Sounds perfect, doesn't it, dear Aquarius? It is!

I hate being sick.

sarabecca — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 14:48:35 GMT

Sick? Lonely? Genes tell the tale By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor1 hour, 41 minutes ago Lonely people are more likely to get sick and die young, and researchers said on Thursday they may have found out why -- their immune systems are haywire. They used a "gene chip" to look at the DNA of isolated people and found that people who described themselves as chronically lonely have distinct patterns of genetic activity, almost all of it involving the immune system. The study does not show which came first -- the loneliness or the physical traits. But it does suggest there may be a way to help prevent the deadly effects of loneliness, said Steve Cole, a molecular biologist at the University of California Los Angeles who worked on the study. "What this study shows is that the biological impact of social isolation reaches down into some of our most basic internal processes -- the activity of our genes," Cole said. "We have known for years that there is this epidemiological relationship between social support -- how many friends and family members you have around you -- and a whole bunch of physical outcomes," he said in a telephone interview. Many studies of large populations have shown that people who describe themselves as lonely or as having little social support are more likely to die prematurely and to have infections, high blood pressure, insomnia and cancer. "There are two theories -- the social provision theory, which basically is about what other people do for you in a tangible, material sense. Like, if I am sick and I have got people around me, they will take me to the doctors, they will see I take my pills," Cole said. "The other is that there is something about being isolated and lonely that changes your body." His team set out to investigate the second theory. ALL THE LONELY PEOPLE John Cacioppo, a psychology professor at the University of Chicago, has been studying the health effects of loneliness for years in a group of people who have allowed him to delve in-depth into their social lives and health. Cole and Cacioppo's team studied 14 of these volunteers -- six who scored in the top 15 percent of an accepted scale of loneliness. "These are people who said for four years straight 'there's really nobody that I feel that close to'," Cole said. The other eight were the least lonely of the group. Cole's team took blood and studied the gene activity of their immune system cells -- the white blood cells that protect from invaders such as viruses and bacteria. All 22,000 human genes were studied and compared, and 209 stood out in the loneliest people. "These 200 genes weren't sort of a random mishmash of genes. They were part of a highly suspicious conspiracy of genes. A big fraction of them seemed to be involved in the basic immune response to tissue damage," Cole said. Others were involved in the production of antibodies -- the tag the body uses to mark microbes or damaged cells for removal, Cole said. The findings suggest that the loneliest people had unhealthy levels of chronic inflammation, which has been associated with heart and artery disease, arthritis, Alzheimer's and other ills. The next step is to see if this might be treated, Cole said. "This is a biological target for intervention," he said. "Maybe we can give these people aspirin." Aspirin, an anti-inflammatory drug, is also a blood thinner taken regularly by many people to prevent heart attacks and stroke. The report is available freely online in the journal Genome Biology at http://genomebiology.com/.

Was it true for you?

sarabecca — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 08:37:33 GMT

August 2007 Dear friends, August is an active month cosmologically - planets busily shift signs and gears, organizing themselves in their celestial realm. This is your cue to do likewise. August is the month in which to busily do the work you may have neglected earlier. The month culminates in a total lunar eclipse surprising us with its insights. Venus, the planet of love and money, is retrograde all month long for the fifth time in her eight-year cycle, to re-emerge in September as a Morning Star, after following the Sun in the evening. Esoterically, this planet's ancient cycle invites a re-arrangement of all we consider valuable. She will precede the Sun for the next 9 months instead of following him. This is a subtle energetic shift you will notice over the next few months, especially later in the year when masculine Mars retrogrades. In other words dear friends, let your intuitive, more right brain self lead from September on. You're going to need your inner voice more than ever over the years ahead. Organize now to prepare for that. Venus' retrograde occurs this month until September 8th, in the same cosmic passage it did from July 31, 1999 to September 12, 1999 - that is, between the early degrees of Virgo back into the middle of Leo. In 1999 Venus moved behind the Sun and allowed the Sun to lead. You may have made financial decisions then that took precedence over pleasure. For example, you may have returned to work, or invested yourself in a more serious approach to life rather than choosing softer, more pleasurable pursuits. Where Virgo and Leo fall in your chart are where you're likely to see a profound shift over what you consider important. It's possible that you're about to reverse the order of what you considered important then, with what you consider important now. Look back and see what this time meant to you and look for a re-ordering of that. Please call me if you need clarification on this. As Venus' retrograde can cool romantic ardor, it's good that the Sun is in warm Leo as the month opens. Let it soften the tough spots between your mate and you. Take time out for romantic dates, even if it feels a little like work at first. Leo's vibrancy is our cue to lighten up and play. Yet, this creative confident sign is also interested in accomplishment and integrity. Leo wants to look good. Thus the gift of this generous sign is to turn work into play. Leo loves romance and drama too but always within the context of a loyal relationship. Leo rules children and the educational system as well and we see this in the USA as children and teachers prepare to return to school this month. August 6th is a big day. Jupiter turns direct in Sagittarius after lingering retrograde for four months and just a few hours later at 11:00 PM MST, Mars enters speedy Gemini. Wow, what a kick butt combo! Jupiter is exuberant in his home sign of Sagittarius and Mars is wild and free in Gemini. These two will oppose each other most of August creating an atmosphere of risk, courage, foolhardiness and sheer crazy good times. This is wonderful energy in which to push the envelope of your experience. But do keep in mind the limitations of your human body - you can't do it all. These two planets in opposition may keep you up all night playing games, writing letters, making music, riding horses, camping out in foreign canyons, yodeling down lonely mountains, or pack backing round the country. Have fun and take your vitamins. August 8th communicator Mercury leaves emotional, security conscious Cancer for bold Leo to join the Sun. From the 8th to the 20th is a great time to state your case. Market your business during this time and get results. It's also a good time to declare your love, to write that play, or to speak up when you've been afraid to in the past. The afternoon of August 12th is a New Moon in Leo and what a Moon it is. Seven celestial bodies connect in fire signs - The Moon and Sun in Leo with Mercury, Saturn and Venus, all within a few degrees of each other; and Jupiter and Pluto in trine from Sagittarius. Mars opposes Jupiter from Gemini while Neptune and Chiron oppose the Leo contingent from Aquarius. The latter can feel like it's you against the world. Think instead, that you are the world, and feel the power of the positive. This New Moon speaks of a powerful act of creation. Prepare for this one folks - don't enter into this cosmic set-up without some kind of conscious plan for your life. Venus is retrograde and very close to stern Saturn. Both form a positive and perfect relationship to transformative Pluto. This is about love and money, commitment and transformation. If you're in love - go deeper. Speak your love to each other. If you're in business - go the extra mile and make the commitment. Everyone has the opportunity to powerfully state his or her inner heart's desire. Paint it, write it, or sing it out. Have courage to move forward in joy, confidence, love, play and romance. Social pressures may demand otherwise, but you go ahead and make that whispered, brave bold pledge, and push on with love. Let love be your currency. Let love open your heart. Be a lion. The morning of August 19th Mercury leaves Leo for meticulous Virgo. Mercury rules this sign and so is happy here to organize, fuss and serve. He will square Mars within a few days creating a sense that there's a lot to do in a short amount of time. Use the pressure of this week to push through on big projects. The Sun leaves Leo for Virgo early on the 23rd. Virgo energy is an invitation to harvest crops and to busy industry. Virgo wants to get things done and is happiest when being productive and ticking items off a list. Mercury and the Sun connect with the south node. Health and work issues from the past may need to be resolved now. It's a good time to clean out cupboards and to generally organize your life letting go of what you no longer need. The month ends on a spectacular note with a total lunar eclipse in Pisces in the early morning (4:37 MDT) August 28th. You will be able to see it from anywhere in the USA, but the western states have the best view. Eclipses are cosmic openings and are powerful opportunities to clear and re-set your life. The chart for the eclipse shows squares and oppositions indicating that this eclipse is a turning point. Communicator Mercury opposes radical Uranus. Watch what you say! Back up your computer. Take note of any information that may come through to you by unusual means. You may find your way out of an impasse at this time. The Sun in Virgo operates in the biological realm while the Moon in Pisces highlights the spiritual. What are you spiritually feeding your body? Where are your thoughts, emotions and body at odds? This eclipse can help you re-align toward spiritual and physical health if you set that intention. Within a few weeks Saturn will leave Leo and a solar eclipse in Virgo will activate the cosmos and your life. Stay awake on the path. The astrological insight for the month of August is: Get organized. Re-prioritize. Courageously open your heart to love. Create consciously. Have fun. Re-align your heart/spirit/ body/mind.

Pretty much...

sarabecca — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 08:36:45 GMT

Sarabecca Born: February 8, 1971 10:32 PM Boulder, CO, USA Sun Sign: Aquarius Sun 19° Aquarius 49' Moon Sign: Leo Moon 7° Leo 47' Rising Sign: Libra Ascendant 21° Libra 02' Your Sun Sign: Aquarius Sun 19° Aquarius 49' Element: Air Key Planet: Uranus The symbol for Aquarius is the Water-Bearer, a universal man who is pouring forth water from a jug. This universal man represents the community of mankind. The waters of life flow, like ideas coming from the unrestrained mind. Many people mistakenly think that Aquarius is a water sign, but it is an intellectual air sign. As such, Aquarians can be interested in concepts and ideas. Because of its universality, Aquarians can seem somewhat detached from personal emotions. It's not that you Aquarians don't have feelings; it's just that yours are different from most others. You dance to the beat of a different drummer. Motto: "Great spirits often encounter opposition from mediocre minds." Greatest Strength: Your eclectic way of seeing things Possible Weakness: Know-it-all attitude puts others off Your Moon Sign: Leo Moon 7° Leo 47' Your emotions are powerful and often expressed dramatically. That's because feelings are meant to be shown and not held inside yourself. Sure, you don't want to expose all of your secrets, but generally putting them out in the open works best for you. It's part of the enthusiasm that you need to feel alive. Just getting by is not enough for you, which is why you don't always play it safe. But taking risks on a personal level gives you a sense of excitement that you absolutely need to be at your best. Sure, you can go overboard at times, but that's probably a better approach than sitting on the sidelines and going unnoticed. You're here to be seen, so there's no need to stay quiet or play it cool. Motto: "If you feel it, show it." Greatest Strength: Your urge to create, even if the odds are against you Possible Weakness: Over-dramatizing your emotions Your Rising Sign: Libra Ascendant 21° Libra 02' Libra Rising is a sign of social skill, charm and grace. You approach the world with a distinct sense of harmony, seeking to create an environment in which others feel welcome. Your manner is likely to be quite attractive with a natural sense of style. You often put others first, setting aside own needs until theirs are met. While this is a delightful habit that most people appreciate, it can make it harder to stand up for yourself. Battling for others, for justice and fairness comes easily, but fighting for your own interests may be more difficult for you. Motto: "Is everybody happy?" Greatest Strength: Bringing harmony to your environment Possible Weakness: Unwillingness to deal with confrontation Your Chinese Sign: The Pig The PIG … THE PRISTINE PIG Mantra: Honesty opens all doors. The Pig is true to his goals and beliefs. Their natural simplicity makes Pigs popular and loyal - once a friend, they'll be your friends for life. Pigs can be stubborn, but they will give in for the sake of peace. A Pig is happy to share what he or she has but needs to be the one taking the initiative in giving and wants to be rewarded for it. Sensual and energetic, she is persuasive and perceptive. The Pig sees and remembers everything.

4:44 am

sarabecca — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 11:53:00 GMT

Traffic lights, blaring so bright in the dark of the night Too much light and dark Spinning circles around my eyes spinning bar stool around my thighs so bright This peach for a milkshake desired a sweet trade for this fair maid. [a little stream of consciousness writing late in the night]

Driver, Packers, and Movers Needed :-)

sarabecca — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 00:28:50 GMT

It's finally happening! I am set to move at the end of the week to Mt. Shasta (technically Weed). I am getting a truck on Thursday the 30th and loading up. I need help packing this week and loading all day Thursday and on Friday morning. If you can pitch in for any of that time please let me know. If you want to make some money, I can pay a few people and of course will provide food and beverages for all. I also need someone who can drive a truck. I need to pick up the truck Thursday morning at 9 in South Davis and then I need someone to drive it up to Shasta and take a train back (or someone from Shasta to take a train down and drive up), expenses paid. Thank you to everyone for all your support and blessings. :-}

Interplanetary Face-Off: Mars and Jupiter fight for control

sarabecca — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 13:53:23 GMT

This week, two big things are happening on the planetary front -- the Sun is entering super-focused Virgo right around the same time that aggressive Mars moves into opposition with lucky Jupiter. What does this mean for you? For one, it means that summer's coming to an end. But it means a whole lot more, too. With just a few weeks left of the season for rest and relaxation, Virgo is ready to work. Whether it's getting back to school, getting your motivation back at work or beginning a new phase in your life, Virgo ... sometimes called the Virgin sign -- is ready to take on the challenge with hard work and efficiency. However, with aggressive Mars in Gemini, your energies may get scattered. Then there's Jupiter. In its home sign of Sagittarius, this jovial sign wants to do one thing and one thing only -- party. This influence wants you to enjoy what's left of summer, rather than waste it working. It's easy to see why you might feel torn between school shopping and taking the last road trip during this time. Another consequence of the Mars/Jupiter opposition is that you could get overconfident or reckless. You might think that you don't need to work very hard, because you have everything under control, and then realize you're sadly mistaken later. Or you could traipse off on a last-ditch adventure that could be ill-advised. How this planetary battle plays out in your life is up to you. Your best bet would probably be to find the right balance between being fun and being productive over the next few weeks. It may put a damper on the rest of the summer, but if you do it now, you'll be glad you did later. (Myspace Horoscopes)

Advice on the Wind Storms at BM

sarabecca — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 14:40:20 GMT

http://www.damer.com/pictures/events/burningman2002/blowout/alphaguide.html ahem...good luck out there people, it takes a stronger woman than I! See you at the Decompression Parties. :-)

Get your Sand Gear Ready Burners!!!

sarabecca — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 06:42:51 GMT

Zap Stratosphere of the Monkey Puzzle space outpost team Reported the Following on BaseCamp. Location: Lanceland, 5:30 and Evoltion (center camp circle), Black Rock City Playa Date: Day03 Hour1400 Status: Dusty as a motherf**k and slightly buzzed Report: Check check. Monkeys are you there? Come in - this is Zap Stratosphere reporting from the dustiest place in the solar system. Just giving the group a fair warning: It is more dusty than you have ever seen (well maybe not some of us, but its as bad as it gets). The whole of Black Rock Desert got no more than a few inches of rain this year (with the snow melt in the mountains at 12% of normal!), so we will be swimming in the same dust we enjoyed years back. I am currently sitting in a white-out that has been going nearly non-stop since 8 this morning. By all accounts we are experiencing an abnormal amount of dustage for this early in the event, and it's pretty much guaranteed to keep it up for the entire show (but who knows, it could clear up like magic in time for the party to begin, I do not doubt it). So, in honor of this dust, I have taken the liberty from changing the slogan of this year from "Green the Man" to "Extreme Man", because it will be a real desert experience this year! FUCK YEAH! So monkeys, think hard about any extra wind and dust protection we can provide our living spaces, for we shall be glad we did. I saw a detailed layout, and monkey puzzle stands bold, as we all know, at about 3:45 and Arctic, surrounded by Camp I Am, and Some Other One I Forgot The Name For, with DOTA at our back. Me and Neo will be going out to measure the space and make sure we have all our footage (when the dust settles and I find him out there again). Stratosphere out - may report back with dimensions in a day or so. Keep it Spanky! posted by: Spirit online Spirit Portland 204 friends

Ack!

sarabecca — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 06:44:36 GMT

Wednesday, August 15, 2007 Aquarius (Jan 20 - Feb 18) Even if your actions have been rather confusing to a friend or a lover, now it's time to clarify your intentions by openly talking about what you need. Don't waste time mincing your words; just come right out and say what's on your mind. As long as you are kind, others may come through for you in unexpectedly positive ways. I am totally freakin out right now. I have two weeks to move and no place to move into with not much in Shasta showing up today. But there are some leads. However, I just checked out the Davis craigslist and it is overflowing with places. Which also means I have little to no chance of getting my deposit back on the other place. That, combined with PMS and those rollercoaster emotions are completely bugging me out. Time to go do some yoga.

Kabbalah on...

sarabecca — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 05:11:24 GMT

SEX According to Kabbalah, desire is the core essence of a human being. Desire is the stuff from which we are made. Desire is what fuels the entire human experience: art, literature, music, scientific discovery, and political revolution. They all begin with the ignition of a desire and longing that yearns to be fulfilled. And there is no more profound, potent, or potentially spiritual conduit for the expression of our desire than sex. This essential Kabbalistic truth is so important, it bears repeating: There is no more profound, potent, or potentially spiritual conduit for the expression of our desire than sex. SEX AS SPORT Our culture is obsessed with Great Sex. Unfortunately, our society's definition of sex has far more in common with sport than spirituality. We regard orgasms as if they were batting averages. We contemplate sexual conquests the same way we track the win-loss columns of our favorite sports teams. One could fill an entire library with modern sex manuals that instruct us in the how-to of Great Sex. Knowledge and skills are important to lovemaking, of course. Just like we need a proficiency with words in order adequately to express our raw ideas, we need knowledge and skills in the bedroom to effectively express our raw passion. But "how-to" manuals and clinical studies explore only one ingredient in the sexual recipe. Mastering the delicate, artful mechanics of sex is important, but it's just that: mechanics. It's true that our bodies are complicated pieces of biological "machinery," and that we want them to "perform"; but where does that leave our souls? A man might very will be adept in the art of sexual mechanics, and his wife may be able to match him move for move; but the seed of sexual pleasure is not purely physical, as most couples who've been together for some time can attest to. What the bulk of pop gurus, slick magazines, sex therapists, and climax-counters leave out of the "how-to" equation is the ineffable human soul. Yet it's that very soul that animates our bodies and propels our every action. It's that soul energy that can give our lives meaning beyond "how-to" and "how many." Whether we repress that energy, compartmentalize it as somehow "separate from sex," or recognize it and eventually cultivate it, it's there. It pulsates and permeates our entire being as a profound desire to connect with someone... with something outside of ourselves. According to the Kabbalist, eroticism and arousal begin in the mystical intersection of our heads, hearts and souls. When we are willing to expose the totality of ourselves, and to focus on the emotional and spiritual aspects of our partners as well as their physical charms, then sex can be deeply intimate. When we become aware of the spiritual purpose and cosmic role that sex plays in the grand scheme of things, it becomes charged with discovery and spiritual energy. SEX WITH SOUL According to Kabbalah, sex has the power to crackle electrically with intense energy and to provoke a heightened consciousness. It's not enough merely to turn on. Animals are capable of physical arousal without any forethought. One must have the courage and focus to tune in as well. Disconnected, tuned-out sex between self-absorbed partners is incomplete sex. It feels small. It shrinks physical intimacy to its most limited possibilities, rendering it hollow; and quite often, predictable or even boring. Like a bad reproduction of a masterpiece painting, it replicates the moves but lacks the vision and inspiration that elevates the original to greatness. Sex that's divorced from our inner selves and from our partners prevents us from experiencing the kind of connections that evoke a sense of Heaven here on Earth. The "sex" that saturates advertising and titillating television shows is passed off as evocative of the real thing. It's nothing of the sort. Mass market, "sexy" imagery is to real sex what the squawk of a trained parrot is to the voice of Ella Fitzgerald-a crudely inadequate cartoon imitation of the genuine article. In fact, most of the sex we see around us in our culture isn't sex at all. It's just commerce in a tight black dress. Great sex actually begins outside the bedroom. Sensational sex occurs when one begins to grasp the purpose of creation, the origins of our soul, the meaning of our lives, and the "erogenous zones" of our cosmos. The underlying problem behind a lousy sex life and dysfunctional relationships, according to Kabbalah, is that we do not know: * Who we really are * Where we came from * Why a man and woman exist * The structure of the Cosmos * The meaning and purpose of our lives * The role of sex in the physical and metaphysical scheme of things * The tools necessary to arouse sexual energy in our lives. In Kabbalah, spiritual awareness and sex, Heaven, and Earth are in an ongoing interaction with one another. The Upper and Lower worlds are intimately connected just as two lovers locked in embrace. Contrast this, for a moment, with the way sex and desire are treated in our popular culture. Sure, it's there all the time; but in what context? There is a great deal of frankness regarding the nuts and bolts of our naked bodies, but sex is thoroughly divorced from our spiritual selves. It's either treated as a purely physical pleasure-sport or as a vaguely sinful endeavor necessary for procreation. Kabbalah rejects both of these distortions. It embraces human sexuality as a key to our spiritual development. This direct and constant relationship between the sacred "Upper World" and the everyday here on Earth is central to this body of ancient mysticism. According to Kabbalah, our lovemaking has an infinite potential. It has the power to be deeply meaningful. Kabbalah does not associate human sexuality with shame. A lover's kiss or sensual caress contain Divine sparks of energy. Consider the vivid and frankly erotic Song of Songs. Mystics taught that there were cosmic truths to be found embedded in the sensual imagery of the poem, in lines that lushly describe lips that taste like wine and lovemaking that flows like myrrh. In fact, many medieval Kabbalists agreed that this rich, lyrical text contained more secrets to the Universe than any other scriptural work! For example, the verse, "I am my beloved's and his desire is towards me" (Song of Songs, 7:11) is addressed memorably in <^!The Zohar> The Zohar, which finds both "micro" and "macro" worlds to contemplate in a single line of poetry: "The inner meaning of this verse is that the stirring below is accompanied by a stirring above, for there is not stirring above until there is a stirring below." Zohar, I:88a There's great beauty and power in the way Kabbalistic thinking fuses the cosmic and the carnal, the world of two lovers with the entire Cosmos. Our hearts and souls are stirred along with our bodies. On a macrocosmic level, Kabbalah tells us that the elevated region of the Divine is stirred when our own physical world stirs. The "above" and "below" in this passage refer both to the spiritual and physical aspects of human beings, and to the "upper" and "lower" stirrings of the Heavenly Cosmos and of the physical Earth. Thus, we discover that sex has a power that extends far, far beyond the door of the bedroom. This wisdom reveals to us how our most intense moments of eroticism and intimacy reverberate throughout the Cosmos-the way a small stone tossed into still, deep water causes ripples that radiate far outward from the original point of impact. RAW, NAKED ENERGY The ancient sages tell us something rather extraordinary about Kabbalistic wisdom itself. That is, the spiritual Kabbalistic knowledge is also the sum and substance of passion. In other words, the Kabbalistic wisdom that pertains to sex and the wisdom that pertains to the meaning of life are both, in fact, the actual material and stuff of sexual energy! Therefore, the intent behind learning this aspect of Kabbalah is both to teach you how to have great sex through an understanding of the fundamental questions of life, and to arouse the primal forces of sexual energy that can enrich and enliven all your intimate moments. Namely, when this knowledge is implanted within your consciousness, the carnal forces of creation are summoned forth during sexual activity. That's when spiritual worlds on high tremble with delight as divine pleasure rains down upon you and your partner.

Sexuality and Kundalini; Sacred Sex (Shakti and Shiva)

sarabecca — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 21:57:05 GMT

...Sexual activity will allow the kundalini to rise, "piercing" or opening the chakras. Unfortunately, it's not quite as simple as this appears. Because of years of training, as well as attitudes derived from the sex-hatred which is part of most Western societies, we have instilled within us an approach toward sex which is not normal. Specifically, Western society teaches that sex is "naughty" or "dirty" an instills a neo-instinct which might best be called the "let's get it over!" instinct. Add to this the "my-partner-is-my-possession" philosophy (which concludes with the "If I can't have you, nobody can!" impetus for violence) and numerous other sex-hatred aspects and sex becomes warped. People think it should only be used for pleasure or reproduction, and then try and get it over with quickly. When people are younger, they not only do it quickly, they do it (or want to do it) a great deal. "We did it six times last night!" This is considered a great accomplishment when, in actuality, it is a terrible crime. For if you did it six times, along with time to sleep, and time for the man to recover (which is shorter among younger men), that means the average length of time of pleasure may have only lasted 15 or 20 minutes each. And frequenly such speedy coupling, with lots of thrusting/pounding, leads to exhaustion, bruising, and satisfaction which is transitory at best. So what can be done? The first key is to get rid of the notion that you possess your partner and vice versa. You may own a car or a computer, but you do not own another human being. So how can you love? The second key is that love is not limiting, it is expanding. The more you love the more love you have. Love transcends individuals. The love or passion you feel for your partner is a combination of love and familiarity. Both are good, but understand that they are not the same. The real source of love is the Divine (called "Brahman") and when you feel love, it is for Brahman that you feel love. Your partner is simply a manifestation of Brahman. Therefore you can passionately and erotically love your partner, although the real love is for Brahman. The third key is this: SLOW DOWN! There is no need to screw like rabbits in heat when you can make love like gods and goddesses and rise to their spiritual level. Once you are both aroused and coupled, stay still. Instead of feeling friction feel the energy flow between you. The fourth key is that energy follows the breath. Breathe together with your partner. With experience you can do alternate breathing so when your partner exhales, you inhale, and vice versa. Look in your partner's eyes. The energy down the male's spine, out the lingham, in the female's yoni, up her spine, out her eyes, and into his eyes. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. Move ssssslllllllloooooooowwwwwwwlllllllyyyyyyy. The fifth key is sound. On the exhalation, sound out the bija mantras. These are sounds with no meaning. They are vibratory patterns which allow the moving energy to open the chakras. They are: Links to sound in mp3 Lam Vam Ram Yam Ham Om ~ The first five rhyme with "balm." The (six) sounds like "aaaaaahhhhhh-ooooooohhhhhhh-mmmmmm." Sound each one with your exhalations. Repeat the first one until you sense your root chakra unfold like the petals of a flower. Then move to the second, etc. Do not be surprised if your body starts to quiver and shake. This is the movement of the energy through the body and is known as "Shaktipat." (...). When it unfolds (in the sixth chakra) it allows the energy to move up to the extraphysical chakra (some do not identify the Sahasrara chakra as a true chakra) where profound and blissful experiences result. The sixth key is something which I haven't talked about here: orgasms. In Western society, the entire focus seems to be on orgasms, both quality and quantity. In the male, the orgasm is usually equated with ejaculation which results in detumescence. Why would any man want to focus on that which temporarily ends the sexual act? In short, the focus must NOT be on orgasm, but on love, energy, and the desire for ultimate bliss. There is a song in a silly, low-budget film ("The First Nudie Musical") which has the line, "Orgasm's a short spasm of love." For most people, that's what an orgasm is. Now, imagine what happens when you don't focus on the orgasm and instead focus on the keys given above. If you follow the pattern, the seventh chakra opens and provides bliss that far exceeds any orgasm you could possibly imagine and can last for HOURS. That's right; not seconds, not minutes, but hours. This is sometimes called "riding the wave of bliss." The result takes you to a state you may never want to leave, one of pure consciousness, pure lust, pure spirituality, total knowledge, complete eroticism, and ultimate bliss. As with anything of value, this process takes time and practice. But it can take place over the course of a few months rather than the many years (decades, even) that other systems require. If possible, I'd like to get some feedback at Shaktishiva2000@yahoo.com Other Links: Sacred Sex Karezza, Tantra, and Sex Magic SivaSakti.com In-depth Yoga, Tantra & Meditation Resource More: (from the Sacred Sex webpage) If you want to learn the techniques, first, you have to notice what your orgasm reflex is. Just observe it a few times (ten or more times) and pay attention to how it works. (You might want to do this while masturbating, as it could prove distracting to a partner.) Especially, notice that there is a brief moment at the onset of orgasm when you are consciously aware that it is about to occur but it has not yet become inevitable. That's where you will later spend your time. In the typical orgasm (both male and female) there are 8 to 25 muscular contractions. Women may have more than men; how many you have will vary at times. Get to know how many contractions you usually experience. (For instance, my usual number is 18-20; it's never fewer, but sometimes more, and that has not changed in 30 years). Now, rather than "suppressing" an orgasm, try to let one or two contractions happen and then relax. If you can learn to let one or two waves of orgasmic contractions occur and then relax by breathing slowly, and being attentive, and letting your abdominal muscles go limp (NOT by trying to think of something else to "distract" yourself), then you can learn to repeat this over and over again. Imagine yourself at the edge of a wave of pleasure, a wave which does not break over and run onto the shore. You can practice this with a partner or while masturbating. It's easier with a partner, because he or she can hold you at the wave-edge, gently changing position and thus slowing you from going into the stage of involuntary pelvic thrusts you have been trying to "suppress." While you are learning to ride the wave-edge, take turns with your partner. As one of you rides the wave of bliss, the other acts as a "lookout," keeping the wave-rider from falling into the undertow of orgasm. When the wave-rider reaches saturation and relaxes, you trade roles. During the course of one sexual encounter, you may trade roles often, for an hour or more. You may also rest (in a semi-detumescent state), and begin again later if you like. When you and your partner become attuned to one another, you will no longer think about who is riding the wave and who is guiding; the roles will blend and mesh and you will both simply "be" there. That is basically the "secret teaching" of tantra. Sometimes, while learning these techniques, the lookout partner becomes suffused with a feeling of personal power, knowing that he or she can cause the wave-riding partner to have an orgasm, simply by making a slight gesture at the point when the wave-rider is letting go and relaxing. This experience of power should not be devalued. It is profoundly moving to realize that someone has given his or her sexuality into your control and it is a pleasure of high magnitude to watch the process of your partner's orgasm unfold -- but once you understand your power in the situation, don't force your partner over the edge, for mistrust may develop, and the partner who is continually forced into orgasm may lose the fine proprioceptive senses he or she should be developing. Occasionally, when one partner is sexually needy (for instance, a woman during the ovulation or pre-menstrual portion of her cycle), the gift of release into orgasm may be offered and accepted, but be prepared for the offer to be refused, too. Remember, at all times your goal should be to share equally in the experience, not to second-guess what you think your partner wants. One recommended minimum length of time to spend exchanging off-and-on waves between partners is twenty minutes. It is believed by many who have practiced and studied this, including myself, that although less than forty minutes will be pleasant, it will not produce the sought-after spiritual experience. Remember, this time is shared between the two of you; typically, that does not even mean exactly ten minutes each at the edge-point, for it may take you a few seconds or a minute to get back to that place of wave-riding after you have had your turn being the lookout for your partner. As your experience increases, you may find that you can switch from lookout to wave-rider in less than a handful of seconds; when that happens, you have only to be careful that you do not become over-confident and "forget" to relax when your training tells you it is time to relax. If, by reason of forgetfulness or over-excitement, either partner is drawn inexorably into orgasm, neither party should be alarmed, angry, or distressed. For one thing, if you have been very close to the edge for a long time and you see your partner slipping over, it's a simple matter to dive in and join the orgasmic experience. Or, if you prefer, you can watch, content in viewing from the vantage point of calm contemplation. It has been my experience that when one partner fails to maintain the wave-riding technique, he or she usually half-apologizes and is forgiven with tender kisses; there is no sense of disappointment or resentment, because both partners know that the supply of pleasure is not meted out stingily and that balance will be restored in due time. If you get good at these techniques and enjoy them, you may find that you will have achieved the "satisfaction" of an orgasm (that is, your sex drive will be temporarily sated) after twenty or thirty minutes and you will not necessarily want an orgasm, or you may experience orgasmic sensations which are not accompanied by contractions. On the other hand, you may find that the moment you both decide you are sated and that neither of you wants a conventional orgasm, you both do, RIGHT NOW, and you may finish the sex act rather tumultuously. In non-religious tantric practices like karezza there is no premium placed on avoidance of the fully contractive orgasm -- that is, there is no theorizing about a man's kundalini energy shooting up from his testicles into his brain and being sucked back down and "wasted" if he ejaculates -- so choosing to have or not have orgasms may depend on your personalities, the time of month (for a woman), how the two of you feel about the benefits of "pure" (non-orgasmic) tantra, and how much each of you enjoy the sheer physical workout of the push toward orgasm. For more on the techniques espoused in karezza that do not occur in the better-known discipline of tantra yoga, see my pages on Karezza Techniques and Male Control of Ejaculation. IS THIS SACRED SEX...OR JUST "GREAT SEX"? No amount of practicing "techniques" is going to guarantee a spiritual experience, and i would be loathe to promise anything of the kind to one who reads this. In fact, it might be said that the search for mastery over "techniques" is a blind alley of a sort, for studying methodology to the exclusion of developing heartfelt reverence for life and sexual union may not lead to anything beyond a certain measure of control over the sex act, without the sense of holy awe and spiritual bliss that is central to the tantra and karezza experience. Still, in my opinion -- based on my personal experience and that of my friends -- these techniques are more than a recipe for great sex. I believe that if you engage in them with a reverent heart, you WILL experience spiritual feelings while doing them. These spiritual feelings have formed the basis for several sexually-oriented religions and magic cults, but it is up to you to place them into whatever metaphysical context best suits your own self. Traditional Hindu tantric practices -- eating the five sacred foods, raising kundalini energy through your chakras, seeing the blue light, and so forth -- are of use to you only insofar as you accept the allegorical, religious, alchemical, or symbolic premises that underlie them. If you perceive the heart-chakra as nothing more than the location of a muscle-pump, it would be meaningless for you to visualize kundalini energy in your heart. But something will happen in your heart, nonetheless, and you will find a name for it. If you think that the god Siva and the goddess Durga are remote and obscure from your daily experience or cultural conditioning, it would be a waste of your time to learn their names or their iconographic and gestural attributes. But nameless or named, sitting lotus-fashion or not, you and your partner will enter a realm of divinity, so be prepared, for tantra will take you there. To allow sexually spiritual feelings to evolve without embedding them in a religious context, try the karezza technique of looking into your partner's eyes, thinking about the universality of sexual congress among all species, and then extending your awareness out beyond the pair of you to the world and to the cosmos. You may find yourself in what is called by some "the magnetic ocean," a sensation that you are partaking of a universal, ongoing sexual experience that is life itself. This sensation of magnetism during meditation gave rise to another 19th century American name for karezza -- magnetation, a term coined by John William Lloyd. STARTING OUT -- WITH A PARTNER OR ON YOUR OWN If you are in a committed relationship and become interested in tantra or karezza, you should be cautious in bringing the subject up with your partner. He or she may take your interest as evidence that you are disinterested in "normal" sex or may feel you are disparaging his or her sexuality as not "good enough" for you. Your partner may think it is "unromantic" to discuss biologically-based spirituality or that sexual activity requiring a bit of practice is less "spontaneous" than untutored sexual activity. Be prepared to deal with these concerns patiently. If you have no partner, one way to explore tantra as a spiritual experience is to invoke one. In Tibetan Buddhist tantra this imaginary lover is called a tulpa. When invoking a tulpa, give honour and respect to the person upon whom the image is based. Do not imagine that you and your tulpa are doing conventionally "hot" or "sexy" things; instead imagine that your tulpa and you are meditating and magnetising as described above. If you decide to have an orgasm, offer it to your tulpa as you would to your lover, as a prayer, a blessing, a sacred gift. A dear and funny tantra friend of mine once described his sacred masturbatory orgasms by paraphrasing an old song by The Shirelles: Each night before i go to bed, my baby I whisper a little prayer for you, my baby And tell all the stars above: "This is dedicated to the One-Eyed Love" I hope that these simple hints will reach the readers for whom they are intended. I am not a teacher of tantra, merely a karezza woman; for more information, you may wish to read books on the subject or take a tantra workshop or training class from a qualified teacher. If you are looking for a tantra yoga guru or a teacher of Westernized tantra techniques, please go the Teacher List maintained by E-Sensuals (with which i am not affiliated). The people named on that list are reputable and many of them travel to various regions of the world, so ask about their touring schedules. Whatever you do next, know that you are not alone. Sacred sex is the magnetic ocean in which many of your fellow humans are floating even as you read these words. If everyone were like us, this world would be a more peaceful place in which to live.

Tribe Boost

sarabecca — Thu, 23 Nov 2006 04:11:40 GMT

Hello Tribe, I need a little inspiration for working on my Tribe page and one of the things that I love about your pages are the testimonials. Alas, I have none. So, my friends, help me out and leave me a word...

Go to MySpace

sarabecca — Sun, 04 Jun 2006 08:38:13 GMT