1. Replace worn out phones and electronics
2. Learn a new word each day
3. Ask questions: Who, what, where, when, why, how?
4. Greet your neighbors
5. Re-read your favorite book
6. Focus
7. Think before you speak
8. Monkey around
9. Take notes
10. Start your own blog
11. Pick up some good vibrations
12. Come up with two right ways to do something

And One More for the Curiously Distracted…Once in While, Finish What You Start

Do you have a strong Mercury, Gemini placements, or 3rd house? Chance ares (unless the Mercury placements are more Virgo in nature), you get distracted. A lot. There are so many interesting things to choose from, why get stuck with one? But what does that do for “going the distance”? Running the good race? Crossing the finish line? In the end, are you left unsatisfied? Hungering for more?

Gemini ~ the sign of one bee, many flowers ~ is known for its curiosity and wide-ranging interests. Thank goodness! Without that incredible curiosity, human beings would have never ventured out of the cave, developed language, or sought to go “where no man has gone before.”

Geminis are idea people, goaded by the what ifs of life. No wonder children begin their questioning with WHY? Ill-content with just accepting what they’re told, they want to understand, to know. They ~ we ~ begin by questioning everything. Each of us, at some point or another in our lives, eventually finds our own great big WHY to answer, and the rest of our life is a quest to figure it out. If we get too distracted, we’ll never find our answers ~ not that it’s a given that we’ll ever find them, at all.

Photo of Tom Peterson by Richard Masoner http://www.cyclelicio.us/

Look around you now. How many irons do you have in the fire? How many projects are you juggling? How many distractions have you gathered around yourself? Which ones do you have to finish? Which ones do you want to finish? And what’s preventing you from finishing ~ or beginning ~ even one thing that started as a good intention but faded into Well…I haven’t gotten around to that yet?

Give yourself this time of Gemini to finish something ~ that overhaul of the garage you’ve haven’t gotten around to, the novel you’ve been over-contemplating, the stack of books you picked up for a bargain, or finally getting your budget in order.

Give yourself a year to finish something bigger, such as paying off a large debt.

Pick at least one thing, and finish it.

1. Perfume yourself
2. Do some grounding exercises
3. List the things that make you feel secure
4. Start a savings account for a specific luxury item
5. Make your environment more secure
6. Make your environment more sensuous
7. Take up strength training
8. Take voice or singing lessons
9. Display your talent in an artistic way
10. Plant a garden, even if it’s just a mini-garden in a window
11. Fully embrace and protect your values and valuables
12. Feel your own power

And One More to Make the Earth a More Beautiful Place…Throw Out Your Dead

Venus as Empress ~ Shadowscapes Tarot by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law

If that sounds a bit like a Scorpio activity, think again. Taurus lies across the wheel from Scorpio, so they represent two opposing sides of the same idea. Scorpio is the home of the dead. Taurus is home to life! After the initial rush of Aries and the Spring burgeoning, Taurus arrives on the scene in a fully lush display of new and potent life. These are blossom days. It wants no hints of the dead lying around. Got a dead plant in the garden? Dig it up and throw it out. Are you wearing an old dilapidated pair of pants or a pair of shoes that have seen better days? Venus wouldn’t be caught dead in them.

These are trash pile days, when everything that isn’t salvageable or recyclable has got to go. Taurus has no interest in the dead unless it’s buried in the earth ~ fodder to support new life.

This is the time of year when Venus is in her prime ~ gorgeously begowned in an emerald robe, a crown of flowers in her hair ~ a testament to the best of life, pumped and preened and ready for a good rutting.

This is Venus in her guise as seductress, knowing full well what it will take to tempt the one she has her eye on and gain the treasures that this easy mark will be more than willing to lay at her feet. That seduction always starts in the eyes of her intended. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and Venus teaches us to use it as a first line of offense ~ a calculated and cunning shot right to the bull’s-eye.

• Start at least some of your days by watching the Sun rise
• Walk in with confidence
• Indulge yourself with a facial
• Wrestle with and conquer a personal demon
• Take a dance lesson ~ in person or get a video
• Go to battle for the things you believe in
• Buy cutlery
• Light a fire under something that’s gone cold
• Settle a feud
• Polish your metal objects
• Lance those metaphorical boils
• Look people in the eye to make real contact with them

And if You’re Feeling a Little Timid…Put Some Steel in Your Stilettos!

Mars is the driving force behind Aries ~ putting the fuel in your engine, the steam in your kettle, the chili in your relleno, and the steel in your stilettos. Aries is known for its courage and boldness, it’s capacity to jump in feet first with enthusiasm and confidence, and go after what it wants. A bit impulsive? Perhaps. But it’s the part of you that says “I want it now!” And now means yesterday.

Do you know the Lotto jingle that goes “To win it, you’ve got to be in it”? That’s Aries’ take on life in general. Aries believes that standing on the sidelines isn’t going to get you ahead in the game if all the other players have already taken the field. It’s a competitive world and Aries’ goal is simple ~ be first, and win!

Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth said, We fail! But screw your courage to the sticking place, and we’ll not fail. Okay, Lady Macbeth had some issues to work out, but she also had courage and determination. (And she would have loved these heels!) Courage, determination, a sense of adventure, your passions ~ those are some of the things Aries encourages you to develop and put to good use.

Where is Aries in your chart? Take a good look at all the areas of life that house covers. Do you find that you’re competitive in that part of your life, even just a little? Uranus will be passing through that area of life from May 2010 ~ May 2018 and you’ll be dealing with issues in the house he’s visiting. As the Sun passes through Aries, you may get a little preview of what’s coming when Uranus highlights that house or hits a hot spot.  Stay aware, make notes, and gauge your emotional responses.

1. Have a pedicure, reflexology session, or foot massage
2. Spend time alone
3. Visit the Aquarium, or get one
4. Go fishing, with or without a pole
5. Indulge in your favorite music
6. Have a really good cry
7. Buy shoes
8. Stare into space
9. Rid yourself of chaos ~ mental and physical
10. Recall your favorite dreams
11. Seek God
12. Believe

And one more to soothe the soul…a visit with dolphins.

There’s only one thing wrong with this video. It isn’t nearly long enough.

Aquarius, Uranus and the 11th House share some characteristics. Look to the sign Aquarius in your chart to find the area of your life where you need freedom and are future-oriented. Uranus points to an area where you need constant change or stimulation. The sign on the 11th House indicates how you handle your hopes for the future, your group consciousness, and your network of friends.

1. Make the wish list of your lifetime (your bucket list)
2. Do something to make a dream come true
3. Spend extra time with friends
4. Network
5. Erase bigotry when and where you can
6. Stand up for the underdog
7. Join your local astrology group
8. Make an anonymous donation to a service organization
9. Indulge in a New Age spa service
10. Shop for electrical appliances or a new computer
11. Break the routine ~ Experiment!
12. Learn a phrase in Esperanto, the “world-wide language”

And For Everyone Who Has Aquarius Somewhere In Your Chart…Let Your Freak Flag Fly!What’s a freak flag, you ask? Well, it’s the unique, quirky part of you that wants to throw off all your clothes and streak through the commons of any bastion to the establishment. I’m not suggesting that you actually do that. Please don’t. But your inner rebel may want to, you know?

Non-Violent Freak Flag

Aquarius and its ruling planet, Uranus, is always associated with a rebellious spirit, unusual surprises, major upheavals, great intelligence, and moments of mystic crystal revelation ~ those times when Eureka! we sense we have stumbled upon truly liberating insights and major discoveries. That true liberation of mind can also feel like a giant leap into the abyss because it usually demands that we change ~ really change ~ our lifestyle to actualize our new-found freedoms.

It is that sometimes frighteningly inspiring Aquarian rebellion which prods us toward our hopes and wishes for the future. Aquarius hangs a star in the darkest of nights and keeps it alight while everything else fades away. If you know where your star hangs, let it be a special guide to you during this time of Aquarius. If you don’t know where your star hangs, maybe you’ll have that revelation within in the next month. I hope so.

For more Aquarius zodiactivities, check out activities for the 11th House in Shovel-Ready Projects for Houses 7-12 and the Aquarius listing in Moon Phases for January 2010 with Zodiactivities.

If you’re not sure what “streaking” is, here’s a G-Rated video that will fill you in.

1. Write a personal mission statement
2. Have a bone density test
3. Read the biography of someone you admire
4. Work with crystals
5. Get your watches cleaned and replace the batteries
6. Spruce up your “serious” clothes
7. Observe a construction site or stone masons at work
8. Lay out a “business plan” for yourself
9. If you haven’t already, establish your boundaries
10. Take a tour of the monuments and statues in your town
11. Send a letter (not an email) to a local government official with your compliments or concerns. (I was told by someone in the know that real letters still get high priority).
12. Have some conversations with wise elders

And one more to chew on…take care of those pearly whites!

Calcium is ruled by Saturn, so our bones and teeth are two things to pay attention to during transits of Capricorn. If you’ve missed those bi-annual teeth cleaning appointments, now’s the time!

If you’re feeling like your teeth have little sweaters on them, hie thee to the dentistry and get those beauties back in shape.

We can’t all have perfect teeth, but we can take care of the set we’ve got.

Other Tips

• Get a new toothbrush every few months. You can get a package of 5 or 6 at the Dollar Store. That’s a bargain. Keep them on hand for guests.
• Use a tongue cleaner. It removes that gunk that is essentially plaque.
• Floss
• Wash your toothbrush with soap and water or run alcohol or hydrogen peroxide over it every few days.  Think of all the germs! This is especially important when you have a cold. Get a new toothbrush after a cold.

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Dentist photo courtesty of Wikimedia Commons.

Each time the sun moves into a new sign, make a To Do list that fits the sign and house the sun is transiting. During the Sun’s transit of Capricorn, put these 12 things somewhere on your list. You can also focus on these things any time the Moon transits Capricorn, especially at the New Moon in Capricorn.

1. Write a personal mission statement
2. Have a bone density test
3. Read the biography of someone you admire
4. Work with crystals
5. Get your watches cleaned and replace the batteries
6. Spruce up your “serious” clothes
7. Observe a construction site or stone masons at work
8. Lay out a “business plan” for yourself
9. If you haven’t already, establish your boundaries
10. Take a tour of the monuments and statues in your town
11. Send a letter (not an email) to a local government official with your compliments or concerns. (I was told by someone in the know that real letters still get high priority).
12. Have some conversations with wise elders

And one more to chew on…take care of those pearly whites!

Calcium is ruled by Saturn, so our bones and teeth are two things to pay attention to during transits of Capricorn. If you’ve missed those bi-annual teeth cleaning appointments, now’s the time!

If you’re feeling like your teeth have little sweaters on them, hie thee to the dentistry and get those beauties back in shape.

We can’t all have perfect teeth, but we can take care of the set we’ve got. We can’t have that grill work bringing down the kilowatts of that million dollar smile.

When I asked my dentist about whitening products several years ago, he told me the best bang for the buck was Crest Whitestrips. In two weeks’ time, you’ll have a much brighter smile. I took his advice and it made a huge difference. It’s time to do it again, though, and I’ve got the strips sitting in front of my monitor on my desk. Just a few minutes a day, and this big mouth of mine can be glowing in the dark again. What better time than now?

Other Tips:

• Get a new toothbrush every few months. You can get a package of 5 or 6 at the Dollar Store. That’s a bargain. Keep them on hand for guests.
• Use a tongue cleaner. It removes that gunk that is essentially plaque.
• Floss
• Wash your toothbrush with soap and water or run alcohol or hydrogen peroxide over it every few days.  Think of all the germs! This is especially important when you have a cold. Get a new toothbrush after a cold.

For more tips on natural tooth and gum care, visit Safe Natural Tips or EcoSalon.

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Dentist photo courtesty of Wikimedia Commons.

Sagittarius

Each time the sun moves into a new sign, make a To Do list that fits the sign and house the sun is transiting. During the Sun’s transit of Sagittarius, put these 12 things somewhere on your list. You can also focus on these things any time the Moon transits Sagittarius, especially at the New Moon in Sagittarius.

1. Widen your perceptions
2. Connect with a personal truth
3. Be adventurous
4. Travel someplace new
5. Take a mental journey
6. Write a statement of your personal philosophy
7. Go to church, temple, or another religious ceremony
8. Ride a horse
9. Commit to something
10. Visit a university campus
11. Go on a retreat
12. Take up a sport

And to make a good impression. . .always leave them with a laugh.

Nobody tells jokes anymore. Most of us read our jokes in email, so we miss the timing, cadence, and the unique delivery of each comic. Rodney Dangerfield is one of the kings of the one-liners. His riffs on his wife and getting no respect are classic.

I love Stephen Wright ~ his bizarre perceptions and his delivery. One of his jokes I love: I went camping with my girlfriend and she got poison ivy on her brain. The only way she could scratch it was to think about sandpaper. Who’s your favorite comedian? Tell me your favorite joke.

To read about Sagittarius’ perceptions on truth, take a look at my earlier post on the Full Moon in Sagittarius, The Truth is Out There.

1. Reveal a secret that will heal a wound.
2. Keep a secret.
3. Get a sexy outfit ~ and wear it!
4. Spruce up your bathroom.
5. Resurrect a passion.
6. Memorialize someone who has passed away.
7. Get rid of out-of-date prescriptions or OTC drugs.
8. Be just a little bit naughty ~ or a lot.
9. Catch a magic show.
10. Get your insurance in order.
11. Recycle things you no longer need.
12. Let go of lingering resentments.

And just because you’re into metaphysics or the occult. . .get a reading.

Have you been spending too much time looking at other people’s charts? Find some time during Scorpio to get a reading of your own. Try a tarot, palm, or numerology reading. And if you’re an astrologer (or student of astrology) who has never had their chart read by a pro, what are you waiting for?

A different intuitive art form can inspire you and just might bring something new to your own readings. Tarot reflects astrology and numerology. Numerology has astrological equivalents. Astrology can see itself in the face of a tarot card. Even palmistry has an astrological side. Know where your Mount of Saturn is? Or what the number 6 and Venus have in common?

If you’ve never done a reading for someone else, give it a go. We learn by doing. Do it for fun, do it for real, do it for someone else, do it for yourself.

You can focus on these things any time the Moon transits Libra or make one of them a major project during the New Moon in Libra.

1. Keep your promises
2. Get a really good mirror ~ a looking glass for inner or outer gazing
3. Identify the solid relationships in your life and why they work
4. Get a makeover
5. Read something romantic
6. Look for the lopsided
7. Listen to someone’s story
8. Make amends
9. Be the partner you’d like to have
10. Barter
11. See yourself through the eyes of others
12. Commit to something

And do something extra sweet for yourself…get yourself some really good chocolate.

The best prescription I ever received from a doctor was this, “Go out and get yourself some really good chocolate. I’m not talking about regular everyday chocolate you can pick up at the newsstand. Stop by Godiva on the way home and get yourself something really nice, something exceptional.”

Do I even need to mention that he’s my all-time favorite doctor ever?!

Whether you like it dark, milky, white, fruity, nutty, or laced with chipotle, go out and pick up a little something that’s worth the trip. Make it extraordinary, make it special.

About a year ago I developed a new habit. Every night, right before bed, I get myself a small square of incredible dark chocolate. It’s the last thing I taste every day. I’m absolutely positive it makes my dreams more colorful and the stars shine brighter.

1. Develop proficiency
2. Streamline your routine
3. Make a donation to your local animal shelter ~ money, something on their wish list, or some volunteer time
4. Clean out your medicine chest and refrigerator
5. Look for nuances instead of generalities
6. Visit a library
7. Purchase stationery or pens
8. Tend the Vestal flame that burns within
9. Be generous to waiters and waitresses
10. Organize your bookshelves
11. Do some healing
12. Become elegance

And on further examination. . .cut yourself some slack.

Ah, yes...I see it clearly now.

Somewhere inside, no matter how outwardly confident you may appear, you beat yourself up about something, picking at some tiny thing that other people probably don’t even notice. If you’d just lighten up on yourself a little, that imperfection you’re so focused on would probably dry up to nothing and you could blow it away in a puff.

If you’ve been putting off something that really needs tending, what are you waiting for? With attention, dedication, and a fine eye for what helps or what harms, it will soon be a thing of the past.

Leo, the Lion

Each time the sun moves into a new sign, make a To Do list that fits the sign and house the sun is transiting. During the Sun’s transit of Leo, put these 12 things at the top of your list. You can also focus on these things when the Moon transits Leo, especially at the New Moon in Leo.

1. Treat yourself like royalty
2. Go to a party or, better yet, throw a party
3. Pick up the check if you can afford it, or be generous in other ways
4. Spend a day playing dress-up (alone, or not)
5. Act like a kid again
6. Be brave
7. Go to the theatre
8. Strengthen your will
9. Work on your posture
10. Open your heart
11. Be honest with yourself
12. Check your ego

And to Make it a Baker’s Dozen ~ Do Something New with Your Hair!

The Macaroni ~ 1773

Get a new cut, think about changing the color, add some highlights or lowlights. If you’ve got a mane to envy, toss it big time. If your hair is short or gone, work on your inner toss! It’s time to rev it up and have fun with it. Hair is meant to be sexy ~ whether it’s down to your waist or barely peeking out from beneath your scalp. Curly or straight as a board, thick, thin, fringe, mustache or  beard, love your hair. We are so lucky to be living in a time when the sky’s the limit with hair, unlike in the past. HA! If you have to keep it conservative for work, do something funky afterhours. Styled and full of product by night, let it hang loose during the day. Whatever your style or preference, go with it proudly.

1. Let go of an old hurt
2. Spruce up your home
3. Create a sacred space
4. Talk to a special woman in your life
5. Pull out your scrapbooks, photo albums, memory books
6. Research your family tree
7. Visit your childhood neighborhood, if possible, or take a walk down memory lane
8. Enjoy comfort food
9. Cook at home
10. Get a seaweed wrap or salt scrub
11. Visit the ocean, even if only virtually 
12. Cuddle ~ with people, pets, or projects

And a bonus for the ladies … buy a great fitting and great looking bra.

Throw out the old tattered ones and the ones that don’t fit anymore. Have one that’s been in your drawer for years that you can’t force yourself to get rid of? Now’s the time. Maybe it’s a little tight, or the straps pull, or it doesn’t look good under your tops. Throw it out! No more straps with stray elastic threads poking out everywhere, no more dingy whites, or dented cups. If you have one piece of really great underwear, make it a bra. It will improve your silhouette and your self-image. If you’ve never had a bra fitted, treat yourself and go to a good lingerie store. They’ll get you in the right size, and it will make all the difference in the world. You know what they say, “If the shoe fits, wear it.” Well, if the bra doesn’t, don’t!