Lilac Shrieks and Scarlet Bellows

Tales from the dark side...

vanessa — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 04:58:47 GMT

Okay, now that I've finally succumbed (as of a month ago) to Facebook and have had my own turning to the dark side, here's what I find: Facebook really IS cathartic and can provide opportunities which tribe (and MySpace, and Friendster, and pick your own poison...) cannot, namely contact with every-bloody-body in the free world, namely because it uniquely serves as a gathering place for friends, family members, and that old high school/where-are-they-now? tribes of individuals...everybody and their freaking dog resides in the cyberspace recesses of Facebook, and I cannot deny that it's been a thrill and a trip and an addiction and part spiritual therapy and joyous exploring this new avenue and discovering (or rediscovering) long lost souls and encountering unfinished business. BUT...Tribe still rocks in that it a) Let's you blog your thoughts in more than a few mere sentences, so that we can pour out our souls with total authenticity and depth; let the good, the bad, and the ugly reign supreme! (and while letting you upload cool pics to boot!)b) Gotta love the testimonials, and the ability to recommend our favorite biz establishments and friendly neighborhood organizations, which let us shout our barbaric yelps across the rooftops of the world (or at least across the expanse of cyberspace) to give a HOLLA! to those we love and whom deserve the credit out there...c) we can rest assured that this is likely one of the few sites that doesn't cause moral conflict (i.e. are they realllly the CIA, or what?!) ...and...d) Facebook has almost every iota of its share of lame-ass technical difficulties as tribe (at least, of late) and, ergo, I do not buy this b.s. about people abandoning yee all tribe hope on account of it's breathing in it's dying breaths. COCK N' BULL, I say! Really, there are merits to all communities yet people want to abandon what's out of vogue and out of favor for the moment, to which I say that wherever you cut of the hydra's head, another will rapidly sprout in it's place, ha! So that's the verdict, from one of you who has ventures to the dark side and sampled the goods...make of it what you will!

What A Great Day...

vanessa — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 08:00:09 GMT

...to be american, to be alive on this planet at this historical point in time. It's not all sunshine and lollipops overnight, with the wave of a wand, and it's not up to one human to save us. Yet there's no denying that this is an exciting and uplifting time. Possibilities we hadn't dreamed of are now tangible, barriers are broken down and balance is being restored. It was always meant to be this way, there was no other alternative. And, whatever your beliefs are, a new leader takes office yet it is so much more this time around...the strong sentiment and inspiration which this chain of events arouses is symptomatic of a greater, underlying awakening which is happening, even in the midst of all of the collapsing of our systems...the blooming flower amongst the rubble. After wondering for a time now if I was born into the wrong generation, subscribing to the "it's all about me" philosophy; having endured the uninspired and apathetic 90's and bleak beginning of this century...yet to arrive here and now, having our moment in time...our Camelot. Watching the tide turn, finding our focus, stoking our inner passions, and entering this fascinating period on the road to enlightenment. Newly instilled hope and optimism, infectious enthusiasm, and the renewed belief in and commitment to life, and to bettering the world which we inhabit - this is the zeitgeist of our time. About time. And just in time...

More on Astrological Forecast 2009

vanessa — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 04:47:22 GMT

Once every 45 years, two distant planets arrive at opposite points in the zodiac. As one rises in the East, the other sets in the West. Like heavenly giants, about to engage in a cosmic conflict, they throw down their gauntlets across the horizon. Saturn and Uranus are not the only planets that 'face-off' like this from time to time. But while every tug-of-war produces a passing drama, large duels between such slow-moving dinosaurs have a long-term influence on us all. One is the planet of order. The other rules chaos. Last November, on the very day that their first full showdown culminated, Barack Obama was elected to the White House. Four more times in the next nineteen months we'll see a repeat of these conditions. The Credit Crunch is not, really, a symptom of the current heavenly alignment. It's more like an old, ongoing, problem that is being exacerbated by the situation, much as a smoker's regular cough gets worse during a bout of flu! Our world's urgent need to cure an insane addiction to credit is a matter of great concern to us all... but really it is just the sub-plot to this year's soap opera, not the main story. Let us, then, return to it shortly, after properly meeting the two key protagonists in our tale of 2009. Rising late each evening in Virgo (where it has been for many months) is Saturn. Saturn governs governance! It rules rules. It stands for all that won't stand for any nonsense. Meanwhile, rising invisibly each morning in the opposite sign of Pisces, there's even slower moving Uranus - the very spirit of rebellion. Gustav Holst, the great composer, called Uranus 'The Magician'. By this, he didn't mean 'illusionist'. Uranus doesn't symbolise sleight of hand. It foretells genuine, sudden change. Something out of nothing. The impossible, made possible right, in moments. If you want just one practical example of Uranian magic at work, think of 'the internet'. Uranus, in Greek mythology, was the sky god, father of all things. Gaia, the earth goddess, was the mother. Yet Uranus was not kind to his offspring. He kept trying to bury them alive. Until, that is, Cronos came along. Cronos (some today call him Saturn, others know him as 'time') did something a little drastic to his father... after which he never rode a bicycle again. Then, he earned the right to create a new Pantheon, eventually led by his own son Zeus (or Jupiter). To this day, we see Saturn as a symbol of laws that must sooner or later cut us all down to size. Not just parliamentary laws but natural ones. Like entropy. Or gravity. Over many years, the memory of Uranus faded. He became merely a symbol of some more mythical, magical yet chaotic era long ago. Back in 1781, though, an astronomer called William Herschel looked through his telescope, saw a new planet and named it Uranus after the ancient sky god. Soon after, the first hot air ballon took off. Up, into... the Sky! The old laws of time and space, as upheld for so long, so unerringly by Saturn, were all about to be gobbled up by a sky god, hungry after several thousand years, for revenge on his son. The law of gravity was just the appetiser. The spirit of Uranus now strode boldly into every domain ever occupied by Saturn, ripping up rulebooks and trashing traditions. The French revolution. The agricultural revolution. The industrial revolution. These, and many more, all bore the hallmark of a primeval conflict between Saturnine order and Uranian innovation. Astrologers soon observed that that battles between the old and new, all over the globe, followed the pattern of conjunction and opposition between these two planets. I'm sure you cannot, dear reader, remember how the world was in 1965. You simply don't look old enough. But if you speak to someone who was around at the time, they will tell you how very different it had become by 1967. What happened in between? A Saturn/Uranus opposition. The Stock market went down. The value of the pound shrank. The establishment felt itself to be under threat as never before. And The Beatles blossomed. And that, really, is my point about 2009. Whatever it's about, it's not about economic disaster. It's about change on a dramatic, radical, worldwide scale. Social change. Political change. Financial change. And change too, in fashion, music, art and theatre. Once that change takes hold, it will develop its own momentum. And it will finance itself, regardless of what the experts think. We know what they expect. They're all singing from one hymn sheet like a traditional male voice choir. Not for them though, some rousing chorus of Jerusalem. The endless refrain goes, 'Doom and Gloom. Doom and Gloom. Doom, doom, doom, doom, doom... and Gloom!' It is very catchy. But although Saturn and Uranus won't complete their current series of oppositions till 2010 we won't all suffer too badly. Whenever they fight and struggle like this, the winners are always the people who are most willing and ready to drop the old way of doing things and find new approaches or philosophies. Right now, it's clear that these are particularly needed in the world of banking... and busness. The sky god who creates magic out of chaos is helping us see that... and helping too, the earth goddess who desperately needs the human race to be less 'productive' at her expense. House prices may plummet further, more jobs may well be lost and many traditional industries may have to scale back... but the changes need only be temporary. Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling are in a good position to pressure the banks into keeping foreclosures to a minimum. Over in America, the last thing Barack Obama wants is more tent cities while houses rot empty. Many of us may worry, but few of us will lose our homes and none of us will freeze or starve in 2009. New technologies, especially those involving space exploration and energy efficiency will yet create work for millions. And whatever kind of year it prove to be economically, culturally, spiritually, romantically, psychologically, scientifically and politically, it will be one of the most exciting and rewarding times we have ever lived through. (from Jonathan Cainer)

2009, Year of Positive Change

vanessa — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 17:06:34 GMT

Here's an astrological take on the year 2009 from Eric Francis' Planetwaves: "With all things Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces coming under the microscope in 2009 and well beyond, we are going to see change of a kind that Barack Obama's campaign writers could not even imagine. Science does not, as yet, acknowledge the realities that the astrological signs represent: the energy patterns in the background of existence that provide the rough blueprints for the world we live in. These patterns can change, but they don't change easily. Usually, the agents of change are represented by planets. For the foreseeable future, the planets involved are Chiron, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto: the very gods of change themselves. Let's organize the discussion by sign, taking Capricorn first. Families often try to push us into making the same mistakes they did; or we feel a massive guilt trip come on if we don't do what we think they expect us to do. Let's give this a name: ancestral guilt. The slightest proposed digression, the least notion of doing things one's own way, the meekest desire to challenge authority or experience an unauthorized pleasure, often are met with the sting of guilt. Enter Pluto into Capricorn, long awaited, long revered, and the previous birthplace of the Declaration of Independence. Pluto sometimes manifests as Shiva, sometimes as Dionysus, and sometimes (in modern spiritual terms) as the force of the soul coming through. Either archetype will work in this case, if we are looking for something more powerful than the obsessive power of self-accusation. Persistent thought patterns of the past getting dismantled or, for the bolder and more adventurous, celebrated out of existence with the awareness that we are alive now. The people whose bones we walk around on, rather than a source of reluctance, are generally cheering us on. Our real ancestors -- the dead ones -- know the mistakes they made, investing so much energy in negativity, fear and trying to hold back the next generation. Pluto in Capricorn is urging us to tap into this ancestral power source. It is the opportunity break down the preconceptions we've had installed in our minds and free up some energy. Next is the conjunction of Jupiter, Chiron and Neptune in Aquarius. Neptune in Aquarius, which we've lived with for a decade, is about the public going into the kind of haze as if there were Prozac in the water (there is) or as if we were all connected to the Internet Matrix in Red Pill fashion. We live in another reality; we have friends we don't know, who we recognize by their avatar; we take the BlackBerry or the iPhone to bed (it makes a good alarm clock and toasts our dreams with microwaves, meanwhile). Chiron, a planet that is about raising awareness and going through a conscious healing process, has been slowly gaining on Neptune the past four years. This has served to wake us up, gradually; awake enough (at least) not to elect Sarah Palin president-to-be. And I would add, awake enough during these past four years to convert a lot of people who would normally be media consumers into Internet contributors (bloggers, YouTube filmmakers and so on) -- which is exactly, precisely what we need: active participation, the assertion of individuality and the authentic search for community and common ground. Chiron and Neptune are very close to a long-anticipated (by me, anyway) conjunction. It only makes a very close near-miss this year (in late May, accurate to one degree) but the process is accelerated and magnified by Jupiter in Aquarius aligning with both Chiron and Neptune. What have we here? A magnificent opportunity to be yourself and find your true peers, which I suggest you get out of digital form and into physical form. Yes, do that very dangerous thing and use the Internet to meet people in real life. Try not to have them be only in Timbuktu. Try for within one-hour travel time, or even walking distance. Let's turn the world to Burning Man and manifest the Internet on the ground, in physical form. Read your blogs at the local coffee house open mic. Last but not least, we have the continuing opposition of Saturn and Uranus, across the Virgo-Pisces axis. Uranus in Pisces is about sparking up the imagination and our sense of what is possible on the material plane. This has been going on for a while, but the more recent, and ongoing, opposition from Saturn in Virgo gives us something to push back against, like a swimmer propelling herself off the pool wall in a race. Yes, it represents a solid object, a kind of obstacle, but it's also something to work with: actual material with which to construct those Uranus in Pisces visions of what you could be and consequently, what the world could be. The next world: the one we are creating."

Pluto in Capricorn...

vanessa — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 16:56:48 GMT

...Wednesday, November 26 The Lord of the Underworld, which tested Capricorn's rocky terrain from late January until mid-June, returns to this sign until 2023. The transformational power of Pluto will affect organizations and institutions that have grown rotten at the core. Destruction, though, will be followed by purification and, finally, transformation. We are not only recreating the shape of society, but are on the brink of redefining human potential. (From Jonathan Cainer's site) and... On Jan 26th 2008, a new measure begins here with life on earth as Pluto, lord of the underworld returns to the sign of Capricorn for the first time since 1778. ... Powerful, hidden forces are the gift of this unseen and distant planet, elected by some in modern astrology to be the true ruler of Scorpio though tradition still accords that role to Warrior Mars. Pluto rules obsessions, driven behaviour, the subconscious and our deepest urges and desires. He is a god of hidden forces, of the depths where they gather and of their ruthless, irresistible or uncontrollable eruptions. He works secretly or for reasons concealed or unknown, sometimes even to himself. It's important to remember our discovery of Pluto marked the rise of Fascism and the Third Reich, and oversaw the experiments that created The Bomb. As Pluto's looming presence was detected, we split the atom, releasing its hidden forces, but we also discovered something about the makers of the bomb – ourselves. We discovered a shadow force in our nature that aspired to wield an ungovernable power, thus risking extinction by our own hand. From Hiroshima to the Cold War to the threat of nuclear holocaust, Pluto forced us to face a bomb inside us, one waiting to explode and unleash our hidden feelings or desires as we stood at the brink of global catastrophe, wondering if we could survive the war that no one might win. Pluto is remorseless in his search to know where the limits lie and what the inner forces will do. He will persist in this until he knows what can be overcome and what cannot. Such a drive is at the heart of sex, life and death from their highest expressions to their lowest violations. Pluto is a driving force using any means necessary to gain his ends or reveal the truth. Pluto's power will test any resistance, pulverizing or breaking down whatever it encounters into component parts to discover what they are and to release their inner force. With this ruthless investigator at work, there will always be a death of the old, a transformation and a rebirth for Pluto is the god of elimination and regeneration, teaching us that all things that live must die and all things that die will live again. So what will the dark god do from his new realm in the sign of the Goat? Capricorn: Structure Capricorn the Goat rules structures, systems, status, authoritative bodies and those achievements made through career or in the public domain. Capricorn is the authority, as autocrat, bureaucrat, leader or administrator. He offers reward for effort and determines punishment for infringement, laziness, non-participation or rebellion. As well as ambition, drive, a need for success and the determination to earn it, there are cautious, depressive, materialistic, laborious and cynical aspects to the Capricorn dynamic. Capricorn rules social organization, vigour and enterprise, but also governs limitation, restriction, poor health, old age, solitude, despair and death. The Goat can be a master of timeliness and patience but also a victim of delay, pessimism and the failure of initiative. Pluto in Capricorn will test the durability and regenerative resources of leaders and governments across the globe, as well as business and the corporate world. Old or staid structures will collapse or come apart at the seams if they cannot redefine their nature and cope with changing conditions and needs. The renewal or discarding of traditional practices or beliefs will play a part in this for Capricorn draws from inherited wisdom and practice. Those traditions that find new life will serve to guide modern leadership while those that are uprooted or outmoded will pass into oblivion. On the one hand, we will see the renewal of traditional power or thinking that can endure while on the other, we will see its displacement by the forces of the new, as leaders and systems find themselves under the pump. No doubt, Pluto in Capricorn will bring us a new breed of leaders and administrators, noted for determination, practicality and organizational ability. Some of these will offer useful service where others will be ruthlessly ambitious and materialistic. The Lessons of History The coming cycle of Pluto in Capricorn is the ninth since the beginning of the modern era and the years AD. The first of those came in 42 AD as the unlikely figure of Claudius came out of the shadows of a speech defect and a seeming intellectual handicap to transform from the least capable contender in the dynasty of the Caesars into the Emperor of Rome. Proclaiming Claudius Emperor Claudius proved an able administrator and ruler as he reformed the Senate, restored Roman social order, expanded the boundaries of the Empire, especially with the conquest of Britain, and embarked on a major program of public works. The hidden power in Claudius was revealed through this test of elevation to authority and so the Empire flourished under his guiding hand. In the years ahead of us now, those who've had to wait their turn may come to power late in life and find accomplishment, as the dark lord hovers in the sign of age, delays and time's measure. An even clearer illustration comes with Pluto's next entry into Capricorn in 287 AD when Diocletian ruled in Rome. This vigorous, practical soldier rose through the ranks to become a general and was, on the assassination of his predecessor, elected by troops on the battlefield to take the office of Imperator. He fought his way across the empire, subduing rebellious tribes and reuniting a divided realm till there was a stability not known for fifty years. He re-established the tradition of divinity for the head of state and named himself Dominus et Deus. He solved the dilemma of succession and, recognizing that the Empire was now too large to be governed by one man, divided it on the line of East and West, also dividing the rulership among the four members of a Tetrarchy, two senior emperors (of which he was one) and two junior emperors. This began what is now called the second phase of the Roman Empire and, by 395, on the foundation of these reforms, the Empire was permanently partitioned, writing a new chapter its history. It may be that in the era that lies ahead, we will see, as Diocletian did, that the vast metropolis and the global sprawl are no longer governable or manageable in the way we have believed. Governments and organizing bodies will have to divide their regions into smaller working units, districts or boroughs. While this will raise efficiency and effectiveness in some areas, it will also be that this will leave some parts untended or ungoverned. The step from the 'ungoverned' to the 'ungovernable' will follow with dramatic speed and we will see the further rise of wild lands, wastelands and 'no go' zones, areas excised and excluded from the controlling systems or authorities, leaving us with a society where such divisions will be built into the organization of city, state or nation. Pluto in Capricorn will break down what we have till it can be made to work and, with classic practicality, shed the responsibility of what it cannot maintain, leaving smaller or isolated groups or communities to their fate. As the underworld god enters Capricorn, he will test the structures, institutions and leaders in the search for transformation of the social order. Yet, in doing so, he will stir up strong feelings and ties of blood as family or tribe struggle to find a place in the social or institutional whole. In the coming years we will see many present tensions or conflicts escalate as the inner family or tribal group resists the control of social and political mechanisms and authorities. Ancient loyalties of blood and belief will set one part against the rest. If an alliance can be negotiated then all will be well. If not, there will be departure, separation or violent struggle against the prevailing regime. Conversely, the division may go in the opposite direction. Pluto in Capricorn will bid people to say 'goodbye' to family, tribe or race as they part from their parents or roots to find a new place in the world of power and organization. They will take new responsibilities and make a useful contribution to a social order that gives them a new identity and a new sense of belonging. 1762 brought Pluto to Capricorn for the dark lord's last journey there. It was then that a disparate band of colonists in the New World broke with the Mother Country, England, over issues of taxation, over-regulation and colonial control. The American Congress sat, fought a war against imperialism, issued a declaration of rights and laid the foundations for the birth of the American Republic. Now, more than ever as Pluto returns to its natal place in the chart of the USA, it will be timely to examine the path by which a revolutionary democracy became a global superpower that has left footprints and spent shells in so many foreign lands. The Future So, what can we expect of this new era as it unfolds? When one of the outer planets changes sign, there is a marked generational influence and a shift in the nature of our social experience. In time, we will all be touched by a destiny we cannot escape. As the destiny of Pluto in Capricorn takes hold, we will run the gamut of our control systems, from the humble administrator through to the megalomaniac as governments, organizations and key individuals encounter the testing pressures of Pluto and make their response. Will it be death, figurative or literal? Or will it be transformation? When Pluto entered Sagittarius in 1995, he did so squaring Mars, retrograde in the sign of Virgo. Thus, we have experienced instability, clashes over custom, disputes over practice and outbreaks of extraordinary violence as the god of war has traded blows with his underworld counterpart. We find ourselves breathless and shaken at the doorway of a new era. What we also find is that Pluto is once again in aspect to retrograde Mars as he enters the sign of the Goat. Mars began a reverse motion cycle in Cancer in Nov 2007. On New Year's Eve, he moved to Gemini, which is where we find him on Jan 26th. Mars and Pluto's opposition is an 'out of sign' or dissociate one and somewhat wide, yet it will continue the cycle of disruption that has been the hallmark of the last years. There will be powerful or dramatic events affecting travel, communication, transport and electric supply. Incidents with firearms and explosives will become increasingly prevalent. The volcano, the eruption, the fated event and the clash of arms and opposing ideas will walk with us until we can learn to communicate and function in such a way as to solve the problems of the abuse of power and refrain from the constant usage of abusive powers. With our 'dig it up', 'knock it down' and 'shoot it' mentality, we have treated every species, including ourselves and the Earth as an enemy to be beaten, an opponent to be overcome. In such a pressure-cooker as this coming cycle, it may eventually occur to us as a species that we cannot continue trying to solve our problems with a bullying thrust of violent intervention. Just as we will have to look to alternative energy sources, we must also realize that we cannot keep building roads to the future by blowing up everything that gets in the way of our intended path. Obstacles to our desires are there to teach us, not frustrate us. It is time we learned that salutary lesson from Pluto. The sign of Capricorn teaches the proper sense of organization and responsibility required for effective social contribution. With Pluto in Capricorn in the coming era, the imperative is to learn how to make one, how to put aside the power-mongering and the drama and do something that works. The destiny that is written in the stars is also in our hands. (From Neil Giles)

Seeking Travel Advice

vanessa — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:15:13 GMT

Hey all - I'm starting the planning stages of my trip to Asia. I plan on leaving at the end of January and spending 4 or 5 weeks traveling to Thailand, Bali, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Beijing (at least that's the general plan for now). I would appreciate any pearls of wisdom, advice, tips, etc. on anything and everything, ranging from accommodations to airfare to must-see/must-do sites and activities. I also am seeking out a slightly more spiritual experience - this is not just some party vacation. Healing centers/experiences and exposure to new ways/methods are what I also seek. So please regale me with your tales of experience!

A snapshot of life in a week in the life...

vanessa — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 03:57:31 GMT

The whirlwind blurry haze of days that follow an eight day marathon of 12-14 hour workdays, having enlisted newbies into the sticky army, that has me losing my mind and throwing caution to the wind over the past weekend. Lost in a haymaze, mistakenly believing that my posse has abandoned me in Half Moon Bay, joining a new posse back to the city, enjoying bloody mary's in the W lounge (still in hillbilly garb, hay sticking out from every direction) whilst people stare, trekking over to Trader Joe's as they open and walking in through the out door (sans raspberry beret), stranger comes up to me and says, "I just love your look, and thank God that people like you exist in the world, it makes it a lot less mundane!", purchase our booze, pose outside the store for pics with our pineapple, lose an afternoon in good company and sunshine, wake up and sell more stickies while crazy newbie keeps leaving me insane messages about Vietnamese couples crouching behind her and stealing her cashbox (wtf??!!)...learning that my new trainee is psychic, and can hear the thoughts of the people in her audience...as she tells me, "I want to say (in her pitch, after demonstrating the wonder that is Mr. Sticky and all that he can do) to these people, after 'I'm not done yet...' You (to the couple who apparently had just had a fight), you know that she has low self-esteem, why can't you be nicer to her?; and YOU, over there, you know you don't have two nickels to rub together, so why the hell are you even standing here? You can't buy this!"; and then she proceeds to tell me about the work in the world that I must do, the name of the book that I'll write, and the path and course of action to take. Where does the reality end and the dream begin, and vice versa? I don't know but I'm game to find out. The weirder the better! But life feels good, and there's no shaking the feeling which stems from election night that the world, while not close to becoming healed or perfect overnight, is nonetheless a whole lot brighter and more hopeful, and that the realization of all potential and destiny is now not only a wished for result, but is the inevitable outcome. Follow the yellow brick road!

Propitious Planets

vanessa — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 15:02:58 GMT

(This was taken from Jonathan Cainer's website - more cause for rejoice!) "Officially, Barack Obama does not become president until his inauguration on January 20. Prominent planets then will include Jupiter (hope) and Mercury (commerce). Interestingly, when George Bush first took office, the sky was dominated by Mars (war). Or perhaps you think the deal was sealed the moment the polls closed. If so, you may care to know that in Bhutan, a 28-year-old prince has been waiting two years for his astrologers to deem it a propitious time for a new leader to take office. When they saw the outlook for this week, they finally gave their go-ahead. " Hip, hip hooray!

Today is the first day of the rest of our beautiful, new lives!

vanessa — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 15:48:42 GMT

I am still riding the high of experiencing a historical moment of such proportions that, for the rest of our lives, we will always be able to answer, "Where were you when Barack Obama was elected President?". And by a landslide! This restores my faith that, as one commentator said, this is indeed a great country. And that we can have hope that, though the road is indeed long and "the climb steep", we will witness the physical, psychic, and spiritual healing of both this country and of planet Earth. In our lifetime. That, somehow, balance will be restored. And we're going to be okay. I and everyone around me last night cried tears of joy, and what a moving speech Obama gave! And how wonderful to see the rest of the world share our joy. "This is the fall of the Berlin Wall times ten," Rama Yade, France's junior minister for human rights, told French radio. "America is rebecoming a New World. On this morning, we all want to be American so we can take a bite of this dream unfolding before our eyes," she said. What a beautiful world to wake up to today!

VOTE!

vanessa — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 15:04:29 GMT

Please, please, pretty please with cherries and sprinkles on top, GO OUT AND VOTE TODAY! This is one of th most important elections we'll ever experience. To find your polling location, visit: http://www.voteforchange.com/ And let's all say a little prayer that we gain the leader that this country most needs, and the one who will act for the greater good of all concerned.

History repeats itself...

vanessa — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 18:46:04 GMT

When dramatic comets are visible, night after night, they are generally held to be telling us about a wave of long-lasting change. Back in 1892, Comet Holmes erupted, heralding the worst economic crisis the USA had ever known. The 'Panic of 1893' was triggered by a problem with the financing of railroads. This led to a credit crunch, a stock market crash and the collapse of several banks. By 1896, though, news from the Klondike created a Gold Rush followed by a tremendous ten-year boom. Late last year, for the first time since 1892, Comet Holmes erupted again. (From Jonathan Cainer's website)

Beauty is truth and Chihuly is one of its shining examples

vanessa — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 02:39:36 GMT

I had a date with myself today and spent the whole lovely, sunny afternoon in Golden Gate Park. First I went to see the Chihuly exhibit before it leaves next week. First off, you must RUN, not walk, to this exhibit and catch it before it leaves. It's sheer incandescent magic and you will leave feeling happily glutted to the gills with beauty and color and inspiration! His textures and colors dazzle in creations that look good enough to eat, like luscious rolls of ribbon candy, lemon drops, sour balls, and lollipops. A virtual candyland. And did I say color? Oh, those colors! Golds, greens, and purples; bright teals and bubblegum pinks; reds and oranges and yellows that look like they were harnessed from sunset itself. And light pouring through each and every work, reflecting on the walls like airbrushed neon in some instances, and like water from a technicolor swimming pool in others. Each room opens up into another, even more dazzling than the one before! The Persians are giant, fiery flowers that perch above a black, laquered stage which gives off the illusion of an inky reflecting pool below. The Boats bear the treasure of glass orbs of every size and color, resembling gumball planets riding the Good Ship Lollipop. And, my favorite, the Persian Room! A glass ceiling with a menagerie of colorful creations floating above, made to recreate the "magical feeling of floating underwater, surrounded by exotic corals and other sea life". And the light from it all reflects down, filling the room with prism colors and making it feel as if we are inhabiting a dwelling from a futuristic, new-age galaxy. I must have one of these in my house when I own property! Afterwards I drank in the afterglow amongst the roses. It seemed, funnily enough, that the ones bearing the strongest aromas today were of the golden hued "Strike It Rich" variety. Must be all of those sweet smells of success... It's more important now than ever to drink in the beauty whilst all of the madness of the modern world rages round us. Take stock of what's truly valuable and important, examine the meaning of life, and stay very true to your own values and to the natural world. This is how those of us who are willing to see will survive the madness, and this is how we will make it through the rocky times, whether it's the destruction of our institutions or completely of life as we know it. Let the outside all come tumbling down, karma will come full circle and the continual flow and cycle of life will continue on. Steady as she goes...

Bloggedy Blah...

vanessa — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 17:01:57 GMT

Hadron Collisions are possibly bending time backwards, Mercury retrograde is upon us, and my past is popping up again in the most beautiful ways, reminding me of exactly who I am and of what's important. Old love becomes new again, and provides the haven and the anchor in the turbulent waters. I think I'm time traveling, slipping in and out of alternate existences, visiting my past selves and realigning them to bring us all up to date in present time, placing myself exactly where I need to be. Back on course. And, throughout it all, the message is clear that one thing and one thing alone matters above all else, in any plane of existence…Love. Keeping us sane, lending us strength and a sense of peace, resolving conflict, nurturing growth, healing wounds, lighting the way. The only thing that makes sense in a world that rapidly makes less sense by the second. Love, and the ability to surrender to the forces beyond our control. And the trust in the belief that everything is going to be okay, somehow. Don't sweat the small shite. Even the other day, as I was traveling down the freeway to go to work, my tire blew but it turned out to be a fun experience. As I sat on the side of the freeway contemplating my next plan of action, a man suddenly knocked on my window. As I rolled down the window, he handed me a pamphlet from the Freeway Service Patrol ("Keeping the Bay Area moving" is their motto) and it turns out that they provide a free towing service for damsels (and dons) in distress such as l'il old me, so I was towed for free to the nearest stop for a new tire, just like that. (Their number, by the by, is 707-551-4100, should you ever find yourselves up shit's creek without a paddle, they're lifesavers!) Then I find out that my new trainees at work bailed, which suddenly gave me 2 unanticipated but mucho needed days off, the better to spend with a special someone in town for just those two days more. There are no obstacles, only opportunities. And each door closes so that another one may open. That is the lesson here. Otherwise, the usual silliness goes on. Dancing with abandon (can I just say what a fanfuckingtastic dj Cory is?), sharing good times with my favorite friends and coconspirators, watching americana pass me by on the freeway in the shape of a convoy of Hell's Angels crossing the Bay Bridge - what a sight that was! Life is beautiful, truly. And I feel so very fortunate. We all are fortunate, actually. It's just readjusting our points of view so that we can see through the right filters and perceive the beauty and the wonderment which exists all around and within us. Oh, and just in case dear ole tribe does kick the bucket, I'm following others' leads and posting here the link to my very own blog site, so that you dear readers can soak up each and every effervescent pearl: lilacshrieksandscarletbellows.blogspot.com/ Love, love, love, love, love!

Because bloggy blogs are fun to write...

vanessa — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 04:10:25 GMT

And here comes another missive! It's been a strange month, strange week, strange day even... I've come close to quitting my job about a half a dozen times. Chaos is running rampant in the Jesco kingdom, and Mervyn's bankruptcy has shaken up the establishment. Now they no longer foot the bill for our out of town accomodation, yet we've been in bad stores at a bad time of year making little to no money so none of us can afford to front the cash for hotels. I'm lucky because my manager wants badly enough for me be out there selling the shit out of some stickies that she's fronted for me on her card. But this led to another little predicament this past week. Last week I was up in good ole Sacramento and stayed in the lackluster Days Inn, where they unceremoniously checked me out without my say so. My boss sends me to Sac on Thursday-Sunday and tries to put me up in the same sad hotel because she was promised a reduced rate. Of course they reneged and told her that I was threatening to quit (which I actually wasn't, I merely confided that I was having one of those days, but it gives me pause - Oh Shari, have you sold me out so easily?). This means that I spend my shift at the military store asking the staff for the 411 on local hotels/motels for on the cheap. And what did the first lady I asked say when she heard where I was staying? "Oh, the Days Inn isn't a place for a young lady like yourself, that's where the prostitutes go! And the drugs!" My, oh my. Everyone else had the same 2 cents. It'd go like this: "Where were you supposed to be staying?" Me: "Days Inn." Them (without missing so much as a beat): "Oh, the hookers!" My boss is fronting for me, like I said, so she tells me we have to stay within the $50 range. I ask about the nicer part of town where the company put me up a few months ago, right by the river. Too expensive, she says. Nonetheless, I march right over there myself to investigate. Bear in mind that I wanted to see green trees, I wanted to see respectable citizens, I wanted my waffle machine included in my free continental breakfast. I wanted what I wanted. And that led me to Best Western - swimming pool, hot tub, clean and classy. And yes, a waffle machine. I struck a deal and talked them down and got my room. On the phone with my mom later, I told her that I was sorted because I told myself that I wouldn't stop until I got what I wanted. She laughed and said, "You know, when you were young I told you that you were so stubborn, you had a head like a bowling ball," and then know what, according to her, I said back? "Good, I'm glad! It's going to save my life one day, you know." I have to say that even now I'm giving a firm pat on the back to little V. And the weekend did pick right up from there. We are in our first big money store we've had in 2 months. I got to swim every day, and you've no idea how happy that makes me. I walked along the Sac. River, which ran behind the hotel, and saw a boatful of boys who offered me a ride on their banana (get your dirty minds out of the gutter already!), which I gladly accepted. I love nothing more than speeding along the water as fast as possible. And I love, love, love, love, love rides! They towed me up and down, up and down, and I felt like a giddy little girl again. And then they hoisted me aboard after and handed me a Tecate and I knew that all was right with my world. I enjoyed 100 degree summertime weather. As I walked along the river and the parks/beach I realized how much I miss country summers. Summers really ought to be about lemonade and picnics and lazing along the river. I think that I'm yearning for a more peaceful, less jet-paced existence. My horoscope read: "It is time to simplify a life which has become more wearing and exhausting than stimulating." True that. I'm ready to retire myself from the rat race, to escape the chaos and frenzy of the city. There are too many ways to get lost when I want to be found. Too many people unable to be still, and I've certainly been one of them. I met a lovely older woman in the military store. She and I talked at great length about my lost generation and about the need for deep healing in the world. She advised me to either travel to Europe to create the right existence, and to find the right relationship-minded man, or to move to a smaller community, away from the hustle and bustle. I feel that this has been the message that has been repeatedly presented to me throughout these past days. It must be worth at least investigating. Then my coworker, the lovely Sharon, came to Sac. and crashed in my hotel with me. We sat in a hot tub outside underneath the full moon/lunar eclipse and made wishes and manifested. She's one of the most spiritual and positive people I've met and was a real inspiration. Then she did some energy work on me, since she's been training in it since she was 19, and really helped me to shake out some of the negativity that was lodged there. She also paid me a very high compliment when she thanked me for being a role model for her, for showing her that a woman can be strong while retaining her femininity. And she also made me feel quite full of hope again. I just feel like this past weekend was full of some miracles and messages and deep healing. It was very good for my soul. And all this happened in Sacramento of all places, who knew? Today I had an honest conversation with my boss, about my questions about my company's ethics and stability. She told me to hang in there through the holidays, as the money will be off the Richter, and then to take my trip to Asia. Just as she plans to go back to her acting. And then, as she said, we'll breathe easy and say, "Well, that's over." And with that, I'll end this with a random quote from my wonderful roommate Kathryn, which has nothing to do with anything really but which I share simply because it makes me laugh, and because it was so good to come home to a bong and a bottle of wine and to share it with this lovely lady who makes me laugh harder than almost anyone: "Who the hell goes to North Carolina to starfuck??!!" Fin

Lunar Eclipse Saturday 8/16

vanessa — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 15:55:11 GMT

Tomorrow evening as the moon rises a glorious eclipse will take place. Even those who miss the spectacle will feel the influence. It will liberate something, end something, challenge and revive some hunger for adventure in your heart. If solar eclipses invite us all to rethink our idea about what's possible, lunar eclipses enable us all, in different ways, to overcome fears and negative emotions that have been holding us back. Over the coming weeks we will all go through experiences that allow us to move on.

Wandering Lights

vanessa — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 13:59:33 GMT

Look West, shortly after sunset. If you've got a good view of the horizon you should see Mercury, Venus, Mars and Saturn quite close together. Up and over to the east, Jupiter is visible too. Assuming you noticed the Sun while it was still light you will be able to say, once the Moon rises, that you have seen all seven traditional 'wandering lights' within a few hours. Is this auspicious? Extremely so, according to the ancients. Make a wish, while you can. It may be several years before you get a chance to catch all seven together again.

8/8/8 and more tidbits about the solar eclipse...

vanessa — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:59:39 GMT

Mass Consciousness plays a key role in the 8-8-8. "08-08-08 is a magical moment when the entire world will come together in thought because of the opening of the Olympics. According to ancient tradition, the opening ceremony of the Olympics is a moment when war stops and athletes compete in an ethical manner. 08 08 08 is a moment when there will be a huge concentration of mass consciousness. Please energize this mass consciousness with peace. " - Barbara Wolf www. GlobalMeditations. com Keep in mind that the August 1st Eclipse was seen in Totality, over the Great Wall of China and the Ancient Silk Route, a powerful symbol of abundance and world trade. Because 8 is the penultimate number of abundance and prosperity this has added significance. With the specific location of all our focus being on China (due to the Olympics) on 8-8-08 - right smack dab at the exact half-way point between two powerful eclipses of change - and with the eclipse shadow falling over the Ancient Silk Route - i.e. The Silk Road - a symbol of world trade and abundant economy - we have an opportunity to focus our intention for a smooth and safe transition to a new global economy. Without a crash and without cataclysm. Also, I read this about the solar eclipse in my calendar (Mark Lerner's Zen Astrology of the Natural World): ..."The truth is that a Solar Eclipse helps the earth release toxic vibrations and commune with its solar systemic environment. It is also not an isolated event, but part of a sequence of eclipses (between 70 and 72 total) that begins with a small Partial Solar Eclipse at either the North or South Pole and then takes around 1,280 years to complete. These were named Saros Cycles in the 10th century A.D. - the word "saros" meaning repetition in Greek." "The Total Solar Eclipse of August 1 occurs in Leo and is part of a Saros cycle that began at the South Pole with a Partial Solar Eclipse on March 10, 1179 (Old Style Calendar)." "A special anniversary takes place near the time of the Total Solar Eclipse as it is 50 years since the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was signed into law by President Eisenhower on July 29, 1958. This Sun-sign Leo agency was born with a close Sun square to Mars in Taurus - a frictional sky pattern that has coincided with spectacular successes and failures when it comes to exploring the Red Planet. " "With the Total Solar Eclipse activating NASA's horoscope, it will be intriguing to see what discoveries they make."

Back from the other side and still alive to tell the tale...

vanessa — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 19:08:18 GMT

I'm back from Sac. and a little shell shocked. I got sent out on Monday to the Sacramento area to work on McClellan military base and boy, was that a doozy! First off, it's no Travis. It's a bit more ghetto, and it's full of retirees and senior citizens. As I got up to do my Sticky spiel I was actually heckled by the aged ones. I mean, business has hit some snags these past several weeks but to then suffer ridicule from the seniors? Talk about kicking a girl when she's down! Here I am, introducing the free gifts and I'm hearing, "Well, get on with it! You've been going on and on and on!" from the golden girls. I had to laugh at the end, though. Plus, it's a little surreal hearing Lisa Lisa wafting out the speakers as the soundtrack to seniors schlepping their shopping carts around. I felt trapped in a place that time forgot. Whenever I make my overhead announcements on the courtesy phone the music pauses in the store. I was making my announcements yesterday in the midst of Lionel Richie crooning "Easy Like Sunday Morning". As I hung up the phone in between announcements it picked right up again with him belting out the line, "I want to be HIGH!" and I thought to myself that Lionel baby was channeling my pain right then. I was supposed to be there today but the Days Inn I was staying in decided to check me out yesterday because they misplaced my boss' cc authorization for the room. So I said to Shari, the kindest front desk person on the planet and real salt of the earth type of person, "That's okay, any excuse to go back to San Francisco suits me just fine." I also added, "Sometimes I really hate my job, " to which she replied, "Baby, I KNOW what you mean. It just BURNS inside!". United we stand... So I sent myself home and decided to suffer the consequences. Luckily, my boss understood. She also told me that the Days Inn manager lied to her and said that I checked myself out, so my boss gave her hell. The result? If I or any of my coworkers ever go back to the area we get to stay in the Days Inn with a reduced rate, and in an upgraded suite. So that will indeed make me Queen of North Highlands for a day, lording it over my own l'il slice of wasteland. Stellar! I reeeaaallllly am longing for the day when I am my own boss and am working in my own wellness center. I think that through the course of these past months I've seen enough of the inside of foul, rotting corporate America, of chain superstores; of the unsightlier side of humanity, of inertia, bad music, and consumerism gone wild. Although it's been educational as I've been on the front line of experiencing the signs o' the times, and where our country is at right now economically and culturally. But for now I am oh so glad to be home again, home again, jiggedy jog. I wasn't even gone 48 hours but it felt like weeks. May I never see another strip mall ever again! I love SF, there's no place like home...there's no place like home...

Solar Eclipse has arrived!

vanessa — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 14:23:39 GMT

There's a solar eclipse on Friday. It will be followed, a couple of weeks later, by a lunar eclipse. This is the usual pattern. The circumstances necessary for an eclipse last long enough to allow both leading lights in the sky to perform a dramatic vanishing act. Whenever they disappear, they herald the disappearance of something (or someone) else. In the weeks and months after an eclipse, we often see major changes in the corridors of power. We often, too, see financial tides starting to turn. The New Moon is the beginning of the waxing phase of the Lunar cycle, or the two weeks when the Moon increases in light. We can use the energy of the increasing light of the Moon to plant seeds, both literally and figuratively. We start new projects, buy new things, make new contacts. Things we start in the world outside during this time tend to grow. A Solar eclipse is a very special New Moon. Things that are begun between the eclipse and the next Full Moon (about 2 weeks), seeds we plant, projects we undertake, contacts we make, and intentions we set, take on added significance 6 months down the road. A solar eclipse is a New Moon with tremendous impact. The Sun that gives us life and lights our path is joined briefly with the dark and mysterious qualities of the Moon. The Moon blocks the light of the Sun. In this moment of perceived darkness, spirituality and the psyche combine anew, beginning another cycle in the spiral of our personal development. The last time there was a solar eclipse at this same degree of Leo was in 1674; the next one will be in 2027. However, there were previous eclipses near this degree on July 31, 2000 and August 1, 1943. Think back to the personal themes in your life at those times and review the progress of your personal growth. All eclipses indicate change; solar eclipses signify beginnings and usually manifest as events in the outer world. At solar eclipses we: begin something new, make promises to ourselves, commit, announce, present ourselves, show up, make plans, select events, make decisions, rise to the challenge, make an effort, change, mature, take on greater challenges, travel at a faster pace, feel restless, feel pressured by deadlines and a buildup of emotions, experience a crisis and feel excited. There are two kinds of solar eclipses. North nodal eclipses have a personal orientation and symbolize personal identity, ego and the physical body. South nodal eclipses are other-oriented and symbolize a spouse or significant other, relationships and new perspectives based on interaction with others. This is a south nodal eclipse, suggesting that we are being called to use previously learned skills and talents in new ways and that the opportunities to do so will come through our relationships. This solar eclipse takes place with the Sun and Moon in Leo. The tarot card associated with the sign of Leo is Tarot Key #8 - Strength. Strength is the figure of trust and determination. She teaches us how to still the mind, center the heart, clear the emotions, and radiate Love and Light. Strength is associated with the heart center and the solar plexus. Ruled by the Sun, she represents the fusion of heart and mind into a powerful force for action. Sabian Symbol: 10 Leo "Early Morning Dew Salutes The Sunlight" The symbolic degree interpretation of this particular eclipse celebrates the emotional fullness that can be felt in the stillness of the moment accompanying the first rays of sunrise. It holds the promise of renewed energies; vital, creative and spiritual. Degree Affirmation: I am transformed by the creative process. I open to Spirit and I am inspired. The beauty of this moment nurtures my soul. The heightened impact of eclipse energy can be felt by everyone as much as 3 months in advance and has subtle reverberations for as long as 3 years afterwards. Although the energies are most prominent for a week on either side of the eclipse (many feel a heightened sense of anxiety during this period), the influence on events continues. Eclipse periods are extremely active, often associated with meaningful events and public exposure. If your birthday falls around Jan 29, Feb 27, Mar 14 or 29, Apr 29, May 30, Jun 15, Jul 1, Aug 1, Sep 1 or 17, Oct 2, Nov 1, Dec 1, your experiences now will have impact lasting three years. Expect to see current themes begin to develop ambitiously on their own next January. A full understanding of the impact of this period will take until the end of 2008 to unfold. The Solar Eclipse list You can do this anytime between the Solar Eclipse and the next Full Moon. Take out a sheet of paper and a pen. Find yourself a nice quiet spot. On the paper, make a list of 100 things you want. Don’t hold back! Don’t let your inner voice tell you that you can’t have it. It will be hard to think of things after the first 50, but keep at it. Be positive: “I will get a raise,” not “I want a raise.” When you are finished, place your list in an envelope, seal it, write the date on it, and put it in a sacred place in your home. Or you could just bless it and stick it in a drawer. You have just asked for what you want. This is how you plant seeds. After 1 year has passed, take out your list, and see which of these seeds have taken root in your life.

Solar Eclipse August 1st!

vanessa — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:59:30 GMT

Fasten your seatbelts and Gird yer loins! Here are several implications of the impending eclipse: The eclipse of the Sun has traditionally been viewed with dread over the ages, as the great giver of life seems inexplicably to disappear from the sky. Birds prepare for bed; the sky darkens in the middle of the day. It seems as though something dreadful is about to happen. Over the years, experience has shown us that old things come to an end (or are overthrown!) under a solar eclipse and a new beginning can be made. The effect on the world of eclipses has been seen to be generally felt for some six months, until the next eclipse then restructures the cosmic energies. Astrologically, solar eclipses signify the fall of the mighty (or at least, they're in big trouble!). Depending where in the zodiac the eclipse occurs, stress is always placed on the matters governed by that sign, or sector of the zodiac. The second solar eclipse of 2008 is a total eclipse of the Sun, at the New Moon in Leo on August 1, a week before the start of the Beijing Olympic Games. This eclipse occurs at 9°32' of Leo the Lion, conjunct Mercury the divine messenger, so, being a Friday, the party vibes will be fabulous! It awakens the nebulous cluster of The Aselli, the Asses, being closely conjunct Asellus Australis, South Asellus (a star of the Sun and Mars), which is considered less than fortunate. It is also conjunct Giansar a star of Saturn and Mars in the tail of Draco, but one which is less aggressive. This star is often symbolised by the Tarot Card "Death", which stands for the sweeping away of old things, to make room for a brand new beginning. It is traditionally held that the Aselli are generally unfortunate, harbingers of death by fever, fire, hanging, beheading, or violent catastrophe, ruin, disgrace, wounds, hurts to face, eye trouble, blindness, imprisonment – and great changes in society. According to Vehlow, the Chinese gave this group of stars the name The Spirit of the Ancestors and were of the opinion that, if conjunct the Moon, they would produce peculiar experiences with the realms of the dead. Since the eclipse involves both Sun and Moon, it might be an interesting time for a séance! The Aselli are representative of the Sun and Moon, so their prominence in this figure is increased, but the need for caution, especially in travel, business and with fire is emphasized. We must be aware of a need under these aspects to control any tendency to self-pity and despair, or we may suffer personal loss or disappointment. It's a period in which to avoid getting into debt or lending money to others – definitely a time for careful deliberation and cautious behaviour. Activities with friends and organizations are likely to be disrupted, but the unstable influence makes it hard to predict the actions you take, or actions that may suddenly be taken against you – especially if this point is activated in your natal chart (as it is in mine, ugh!). It is not the time to act on impulse, or to participate in new and unusual experiences, which may well blow up in your face. Being in the middle of a crowd is unsettling, and the same for personal encounters with strangers. Do not seek to act out or impose egalitarian gestures, as this will raise dangerous hackles. The eclipse being in Leo means that people with Fixed signs (Aquarius; Leo; Scorpio; Taurus) featured in their birthcharts are more likely to be affected. The solar eclipse of August 1st, 2008, will occur in Washington, D.C., right at sunrise. This timing makes it a potentially powerful eclipse, because it means it falls right on the ascendant at Washington. However, an eclipse in itself means nothing without links to larger horoscopes for longer cycles. As readers of this blog know, I like to use the 1762 Grand Conjunction chart for the birth horoscope of the United States. We can see that this year’s Aries ingress, the horoscope for the moment that the Sun enters first degree of Aries, puts the ingress Mars in Cancer (the sign of its fall), right inside the grand conjunction second house of money. So here we have an affliction to the national solvency. What activates this financial problem is the fact that Mars opposes the grand conjunction Moon in Capricorn. This Moon is a bit of a weak spot for the United States, as it is in the sign of its detriment, Capricorn. From Jonathan Cainer: Hitler, as my carnivorous friends never tire of pointing out, was a vegetarian. Now, it turns out that Radovan Karadzic has spent the last few years working as an alternative healer whilst developing his psychic skills and studying meditation. An act? Perhaps. But it's very difficult to completely fake an interest in such a subtle subject. We are edging now towards a powerful solar eclipse that will eventually cause us to see many people (and situations) in a very different light. As we do, it is worth remembering that sometimes, bad people can do good things. And vice versa!

Soy is not so good for you after all...

vanessa — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:41:46 GMT

I found this article on Dr. Mercola's site. Read on if you eat lots of tofu: Why Tofu Wrecks Your Brain Soy, tofu, tempeh, natto, nattokinase, brain, alzheimer's, dementia, thyroidEating high levels of some soy products, such as tofu, could raise the risk of memory loss. A study that examined more than 700 elderly Indonesians found that high tofu consumption (at least once a day) was associated with worse memory, particularly among those over age 68. Soy contains phytoestrogens, which may heighten the risk of dementia. However, tempeh, a fermented soy product made from the whole soy bean, has been associated with better memory. This could be related to the fact that it contains high levels of the vitamin folate, which is known to reduce dementia risk. Dr. Mercola's Comments: The deceptive hype created by the soy industry -- which in many ways is not much different than that of the pharmaceutical industry -- has unfortunately been very successful in convincing millions of people that soy is a health food. Their brainwashing propaganda has cleverly created "healthy soy" -- one of the biggest health myths in the health food industry to date. I recently had the opportunity to interview Dr. Kaayla Daniel for my Inner Circle Experts Series, and I also reviewed her book, The Whole Soy Story, which covers this issue at great depth. It’s a must-read if you’re still convinced that soy is good for you and your children, because nothing could be further from the truth. It is crucial, however, to make a distinction between the health effects from fermented versus non-fermented soy, which I will go over toward the end of this comment, because as you will see, fermented soy dishes do have some redeeming qualities that conventional soy products lack. Perfect Food or Brilliant Propaganda? In recent years soy has emerged as a ‘near perfect’ food, with supporters claiming it can provide an ideal source of protein, lower cholesterol, protect against cancer and heart disease, reduce menopause symptoms, and prevent osteoporosis, among other things. But how did such a ‘perfect’ food emerge from a product that in 1913 was listed in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) handbook not as a food but as an industrial product? Lipid specialist and nutritionist Mary Enig, PhD shed some light on this issue when she said, "The reason there’s so much soy in America is because they [the soy industry] started to plant soy to extract the oil from it and soy oil became a very large industry. Once they had as much oil as they did in the food supply they had a lot of soy protein residue left over, and since they can’t feed it to animals, except in small amounts, they had to find another market." In short, the soy industry CREATED a market where there was none, to profit from their waste products. It required multi-million dollar advertising campaigns and intense lobbying to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but now about three-quarters of U.S. consumers believe soy products are healthy. It’s like a re-run of the water fluoridation propaganda machine, which began in the 1940s as solution to the fluoride pollution from aluminum plants. The disposing of fluoride had become a costly problem that needed a radical solution. The solution was to create the false belief that fluoride had some health benefit, and today, not only are you likely consuming this toxic waste product in your municipal tap water, but you may even believe it’s good for your teeth, AND industry is getting PAID rather than paying for toxic waste removal… Soy has become a grossly misunderstood food category, to be added to the ranks of coconut oil, saturated fats and vegetable oils. The two former have gained a negative reputation where a good one actually applies, whereas vegetable oil, along with soy, have emerged with sparkling reputations that cover up an unsavory truth. The Truth About Soy For just a brief look at what’s really going on, consider that numerous studies have found that soy products can actually: * Increase thyroid damage, especially in women * Increase the risk of breast cancer in women, brain damage in both sexes, and cause abnormalities in infants * Contribute to thyroid disorders, especially in women * Promote kidney stones * Weaken your immune system * Cause severe, potentially fatal food allergies Despite these findings, many people still want to believe the hype, thinking that these studies must somehow be wrong. But the content of soy itself should be a clue. For example, non-fermented soy products contain: * Phytoestrogens (isoflavones) genistein and daidzein, which mimic and sometimes block the hormone estrogen * Phytates, which block your body's uptake of minerals * Enzyme Inhibitors, which hinder protein digestion * Haemaggluttin, which causes red blood cells to clump together and inhibits oxygen take-up and growth * High amounts of omega-6 fat, which is pro-inflammatory Furthermore, most soybeans are grown on conventional farms that use toxic pesticides and herbicides, and many are from genetically engineered plants. When you consider that two-thirds of all processed food products contain some form of soy, it becomes clear just how many Americans are consuming GM products, whose long-term effects are completely unknown. Like Feeding Birth Control Pills to a Baby One of the most disturbing ill effects of soy has to do with its phytoestrogens, which can mimic the effects of the female hormone estrogen. These phytoestrogens have been found to have adverse effects on various human tissues, and drinking just two glasses of soy milk daily for one month has enough of the chemical to alter a woman’s menstrual cycle. The FDA regulates estrogen-containing products, however no warnings exist on soy. Soy products are particularly problematic for infants, and soy infant formulas should be avoided at all cost. It’s been estimated that infants who are fed soy formula exclusively receive the equivalent of five birth control pills worth of estrogen every day! When testing the blood of soy formula-fed infants, concentrations of isoflavones have been found to be 13,000 to 22,000 times higher than natural estrogen concentrations in early life. It should be obvious that the potential damage to your child can be quite significant. Not to mention the fact that soy formula lacks other vital nutrients for normal and healthy brain- and biological development. Soy Also Contributes to Dangerously Lopsided Intake of Essential Fats One of the most important things you can do for your overall health is to balance your intake of omega-3 and omega-6 fats. These two types of fat are both essential. However, the typical American consumes far too many omega-6 fats in their diet while consuming very low levels of omega-3. The ideal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats is probably close to 1:1. But the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 today averages from 20:1 to 50:1! That spells serious danger for your health. Even the mainstream health media is now reporting that lack of high quality omega-3 is one of the most serious health issues plaguing contemporary society. The primary sources of omega-6 are corn, soy, canola, safflower and sunflower oil; oils that are overabundant in the typical American diet. And when you consider the fact that some form of soy or corn (oftentimes both) is found in just about every processed food product on the market, it really helps to explain these excessive omega-6 levels. What About Soy as a Source of Protein? While soybeans are relatively high in protein compared to other legumes, they are still a poor source of protein because other proteins found in soybeans act as potent enzyme inhibitors. These "anti-nutrients" block the action of trypsin and other enzymes needed for protein digestion, effectively cancelling out any potential benefit you may have thought it had. Regular soy consumption can also lead to chronic deficiencies in amino acid uptake. It is believed that it is this ability to interfere with enzymes and amino acids that might be one of the reasons for why soy has such a negative effect on your brain. Isoflavones in tofu and other soy foods might exert their influence by interfering with the tyrosine kinase-dependent mechanisms required for optimal hippocampal function, structure and plasticity. High amounts of tyrosine kinases are found in your hippocampus, a brain region involved with learning and memory. One of soy's primary isoflavones, genistein, has been shown to inhibit tyrosine kinase in the hippocampus, effectively blocking the mechanism of memory formation. If You Want to Benefit From Soy, Make Sure it is Fermented ! There are some redeeming qualities to soy, however these are found primarily in fermented soy products like tempeh, miso, natto and soybean sprouts. If you want to get some health benefits from soy, stick to these four forms and pass on ALL processed soy milks, tofu, soy ‘burgers’, soy ‘ice cream’, soy ‘cheese’, and the myriad of other soy junk foods that are so readily disguised as health foods. The study above affirms this as well, showing that consumption of tempeh was related to better memory, particularly in participants over 68 years of age. Their explanation for this difference between (unfermented) tofu versus (fermented) tempeh is that the fermentation process produces high amounts of folate, which might have a protective effect against the phytoestrogens. Additionally, not only does the fermentation process blunt the anti-nutritive effect of the soybeans’ phytic acid, it also produces probiotics -- the "good" bacteria your body is absolutely dependent on – that increase the quantity, availability, digestibility and assimilation of nutrients in your body. As a side note, formaldehyde (used as a preservative) was also introduced as a potential culprit rather than the tofu itself in this article. Granted, formaldehyde is somewhere at the very bottom of the list of things you want to consume for good health, but even so, there are so many studies confirming the benefits of fermented soy and the dangers of non-fermented soy products in general that I believe preservatives play a secondary role in the outcome, if any. Soy is a broad and deep subject that cannot be fully covered in a single article, so for further reading, I recommend you review my related articles below as well as my Soy Index Page, which contains links to many of my best articles and important research findings on soy.

It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World...

vanessa — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 07:10:34 GMT

...and full of so many absurdities and nonsense that we should hardly any longer believe that this life is to be taken too seriously. Or that we aren't living in a mirror-image, Bizarro world version of some more glorious and elevated existence. First of all, I've finally been turned on to Flight of the Conchords - what a great show that is! And I have to admit that, while I found the intermittent musical numbers throughout the show to be cute and chuckle-worthy, little did I fully realize the commentary that they make about the music industry today. After watching several episodes it was time to channel surf through the music networks. I then realized that I couldn't tell where the parody ended and reality began. One over-hyped and over-styled-and-polished act after another churned out one utterly forgettable ditty after another. Stuff you'd make up while in the loo. And they all had bitches in the back, in every video. Don't get me wrong, I expect my limo driver to arrive in hot pants and a bra to get me where I want to go...I also hear that bikini-clad bimbettes writhing 'round a stripper pole on a riverboat in the deep south, amidst the good ole boys, is standard (only in yer dreams Kid Rock, or in your own video at any rate!)...but perhaps we can broaden the spectrum and add some more original touches? Honestly, what a bunch of sad rappers, rockers, and rollers these are, who clearly were the nerds in their high schools and so now think that weighting themselves in bling, surrounding themselves with aforementioned beyotches, and singing about how tough and bad they are well...makes them so. It's like watching little kids play dress-up and grown-up. And missing the point. "I celebrate myself, and sing myself" (Walt Whitman) indeedy! And who said that ripping off popular songs of yesteryear was ever a good idea, even when that unfortunate trend first started? So, while I think that Flight of the Conchords is brilliant in its own right, they didn't have to reach too far out there for inspiration, now did they? Then I got distracted by a little reality t.v. What a special blend of psychology and nature-nurture go into shaping up your average reality show contestant. I laughed when I caught myself thinking that some of these reality show peeps seem so sweet and dignified that I wondered what the hell they're doing on reality t.v....but then I thought, hold the phone, there's nothing at all dignified about being on reality television. Furthermore, anyone willingly subjecting themself to a heaping helping of celebreality is plainly four cents short of the nickel, and clearly some hide their streaks of insanity better than others. But here we are, part of a society in which everbody is always on stage and under the spotlight, in which bad publicity is better than none at all, and in which bad behaviour passes for entertainment. The land of the lost, the lonely, and the louche. Then again, what do I know? I work with Mr. Sticky and pander to the the masses at Mervyn's. And then I blog about it. Dunno, I guess it's hard for me to believe the overflow of mediocrity and cultural tripe out there. And I'm often curious to know who/what is feeding this particular machine...who buys the records, listens to the songs, keeps the cogs oiled and all. Because I know it's nobody in my circles, or even beyond my circles... What's a puzzled bystander to do? I think I'll just take my cue from a reality t.v. contestant and start talking about myself in the third person. Then I'll sing myself...song soon to come...

Amazing Dubai architecture

vanessa — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 16:02:42 GMT

I stumbled across this link this morning, which shows some just amazing architecture plans for projects in Dubai. There's a really nice surge of architecture happening in the world right now, especially with all eyes turned towards Beijing and the preparations for the Olympics. But these are something else, truly the stuff of dreams... http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/07/17/amazing-projects-of-dubai.aspx?source=nl

The more things change, the more they stay the same...

vanessa — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 18:01:49 GMT

I was reading an article about Bobby Kennedy. Not only did it make me incredibly sad that we weren't able to see how the world would've shaped and shifted had he remained a presence in it, but it gave some chillingly accurate quotes that are still relevant today to the situation with war and government: Regarding the Vietnam War: "He acknowledged that the effort may have been 'doomed from the start' and admitted that the South Vietnamese governments, which his brother's administration had supported, had been 'riddled with corruption, inefficiency, and greed,' adding, 'If that is the case, as it may well be, then I am willing to bear my share of the responsibility, before history and before my fellow citizens. But past error is no excuse for its own perpetration. Tragedy is a tool for the living to gain wisdom...Now, as ever, we do ourselves best justice when we measure ourselves against ancient texts, as in Sophocles: All men make mistakes, but a good man yields when he knows his course is wrong, and he repairs the evil. The only sin, he said, is pride.'" "He framed his opposition to Vietnam in moral terms...'I am concerned - as I believe most Americans are concerned - that the course we are following at the present time is deeply wrong...I am concerned - as I believe most Americans are concerned - that we are acting as if no other nation existed, against the judgement and desires of neutrals and our historic allies alike.' He urged his audience to consider 'the young men that we have sent there; not just the killed, but those who have to kill; not just the maimed, but all those who must look upon the results of what they are forced and have to do,' and to consider 'the price we pay in our innermost lives, and in the spirit of this country.' This was why, he said, 'war is not an enterprise lightly to be undertaken, nor prolonged one moment past its absolute necessity.'" "Kennedy concluded by saying, 'Our country is in danger: not just from foreign enemies; but above all, from our own misguided policies - and what they can do to the nation that Thomas Jefferson once said was the last, great hope of mankind. There is a contest on, not for the rule of America but for the heart of America. In these next eight months we are going to decide what this country will stand for - and what kind of men we are.'" He also quoted William Allen White: "If our colleges and universities do not breed men who riot, who rebel, who attack life with all their youthful vision and vigor then there is something wrong with our colleges. The more riots that come on college campuses, the better the world for tomorrow."

A near-midnight ramble...

vanessa — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 06:16:59 GMT

It's been a while since I've posted my latest missive...What can I say, I've simply been a gal on the go, spinning outward at a mad, time/space travel frequency that I can hardly catch my own breath from...but, per usual, I digress! I've had my first day off in 9 days and, as to be expected with a job that has me talking myself silly and exerting myself physically, I relished in the opportunity to do a whole lot of nothing pressing but all things soul-nourishing so...I went to see a totally girlie movie at the new and "improved" Kabuki theater - don't know if you folks are hip or not, but they apparently tack on a surcharge to your price of admission...aka "amenities charge"...which fluctuates upon the hour. So what does this mysterious amenities charge bring you? I asked, you know I did, as inquiring minds wanted to know. "Well," the theater attendant said, "It means that there aren't any commercials, and you get to reserve your seating...oh, and we kind of help out with recycling in the neighborhood..." "OKAY," I said, "Recycling be damned, I find this amenities charge to be a bit outrageous." And then she lowered her voice and said, "Frankly, so do I." BUT...I was already there and had to check out the Sundance Kabuki for my first and last time (you only live once, after all) and so I went in, saw my movie, laughed, cried, etc., etc. Here's the scoop, though - only go to the shows where you can sit in the balcony, because you can buy drinks at the bar and bring then in with you (thank you Honne!), and you can feel very European and sophisticated. So, then onward to one of my fave sushi spots, where I chatted it up with the proprietor, who proceeded to ask, "What are you doing nowadays?" which launched me into a whole enthused explanation of Mr. Sticky - and how much joy did it bring to my heart and smiles to my cheeks to hear my own beloved Mits getting all hot n' bothered about me Stickies, and then turning round and spewing out my spiel to the public whilst they sucked down their sake! Made my day. And, on the other corner of the weird world, I chatted briefly with my friend, who manages one of the comedy clubs in town and who is still entertaining Mr. David Chapelle. He told me about Dave's visits to the club and "epic", impromptu performances that went on about a month or so ago. I had the good luck and privilege of seeing Monsieur D. C. perform last Monday and the man was still talking when the sun came up. I will no longer make fun of my friend when he says that Chapelle is wearing him out. Working with Chapelle, whom we all love and enjoy, is nonetheless like taking a tour of duty. As my friend said to me today, still facing several more nights of shows, "I'll see you on the other side." (But it's well worth braving the storm in order to have Dustfish free the booty for Chapelle in the midst of an exodus, thank you very much you saucy, beautiful lady, you know who you are.) Anyway, those are the snippets of my week yet there is also so much more going on. That girlie movie also touched on a collective nerve and made me realize that we wonderful women have a whole lot of issues to contend with (and no, not our own, but the issues that we, lucky souls that we are, are forced to inherit from decades and generations of dysfunctional hippies who developed their own set of issues from their uber repressed predecessors, carrying their own inhertied dysfunctions and pain, who leave us quite the legacy of sad children who are 40 going on 14, who cannot bring themselves to bare their souls and truly love...themselves first and foremost.) But, again, I digress, I digress , I digress. And, lest it seem bleaker than it really is, for all of the decay of old ways and old relations, there has also been the most beautiful blossoming and strengthening of new relations, with both old and new kindred spirits, and somehow all seems to be just as it should be, and in the flow of all that is good and forward moving. There's oh-so-much to be grateful for. And somehow it feels like everything is going to be a-okay, and then some, in this beautiful circus of life. Every moment, including every uncertainty/unhappiness/seeming misstep/heartache, is in reality perfect and what enables us to truly recognize and appreciate the true path, the call, and the abundance of love and magic that is truly present and available to us, if only we open our eyes and see. I do think that this is a very exciting time to be alive.