Postcard from North Carolina

Wow, it’s already been 2 weeks in the new digs. I just thought I’d post to let you know how Nicholas and I are doing. So far, so good. It’s pretty, peaceful and oh so quiet here. I’m renting the entire top floor of an old house which has windows in every room. Wherever I am, I see the sky, trees and the houses that are scattered around this one. This house also has a tin roof. I can’t begin to describe the magnificent lullaby passing bands of rain make when they fall upon it. When that happens, no matter what time of day it is, I make room for a nap, and sleep like a baby, thank you very much. There are also train tracks somewhere in the distance. The far off sound of train horns somehow adds to the quaintness of the place. On two mornings I’ve gotten up to discover thick patches of fog slowly rolling through. I love those.

The other day my dad pointed out a cherry tree to me. I had no idea that they had white leaves. It’s really nice to have the time to notice. Another type of tree called the Bradford pear tree has already stopped blooming since I’ve been here. It was a reminder of how quickly time passes and how important it is to seize the moments while they’re here. The email and phone calls from friends in LA and Denver remind me of how much I love these people and how lucky I am to have them in my life.

The shipment of nine pounds of coffee from the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf arrived yesterday. Feehw, the Foldgers thing was getting ugly. Hello, my name is Elizabeth, and I have a caffeine problem: I’m no longer in walking distance of a Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. Other than that, it’s all going pretty well. There’s a mountain of paperwork and work work piling up on my desk as I contemplate assembling the new desk chair, computer cart and bathroom shelf, let alone organizing 2008 tax receipts, yikes. But one thing at a time. I watched the most amazing movie the other night. It’s called “. The Five People You Meet in Heaven ” Maybe it was the dark Pisces moon, maybe all the transition of moving cross-country, but boy did I cry. I’m watching it again before sending it back to Netflix for sure.



Nicholas is doing well. He’s now completely on his up with me in the morning to pilfer butter, nap all day, get up to play and cuddle at night schedule. I think he’s forgiven me for the plane rides. We still miss Boris.

And before I have a chance to get bored with rural NC, I’ve already bought plane tickets for my first trip back to CA. I’m heading to San Diego to be at Hay House’s I Can Do It conference. It will be so good to see my work mates, best friend D., and boss Mark Husson give his first presentation there. His new book Lovescopes is coming out on April 15th. I’m so excited and happy for him, and grateful to work someplace where I love my boss, work and clients. So, it’s all happening so fast it seems. Still, I’ll take the time to notice the cherry trees.

With love,
Elizabeth

Doreen Virtue on w Audra & Angela

If you're into Angels, make sure to catch Dr. Doreen Virtue's appearance on Soul's Journey Radio Monday night. 12Angel website host Audra Garcia along with Angel Therapy Practitioner (and outstanding psychic reader) Angela Hartfield will host this very special one-hour broadcast beginning at 7pm PST. As all of this is happening within hours of the full moon, this event promises to be magical.







And on Tuesday night, come join us at 12Listen.com and 12Angel.com where we will be running our Full Moon Specials on readings from 7:38pm PST - 10:38pm PST.

Sun into Pisces - Keep on Swimming

In early 2009, we find ourselves swimming the tempestuous seas of high unemployment, record rates of foreclosures and seemingly daily announcements of corporate collapses. So the Sun’s annual sojourn through the gentle mutable spiritually conscious water sign of Pisces is most welcome. Pisces represents the completion of a cycle, in this case that of the zodiac. Its strongest attributes are compassion, an acute desire to create, deep and genuine empathy, and an innate connection to Source. This year it’s as if these sweet cosmic waters have arrived just in time to calm and sooth the aches of uncertainty, to redirect collective and personal anxieties about the external world to a state of inner awareness and peace, and to wash away all that will not be needed when the Sun enters Aries and the start of the next turn of the Wheel.

If mystical Pisces has a theme song, it’s “Atlantis” by 60’s flower power troubadour Donovan. If it has a philosophy, it’s “Can’t we all just swim along?”. And if it has a message, it’s that of Disney’s seafaring protagonist Nemo: “Keep on swimming.” Why venture into those intangible, illogical and unfathomable Neptunian realms to problem-solve? Because going “way down below the ocean” to the very depths of our natural psychic insight and creativity is precisely where the answers are hidden.





Here are some of the planetary highlights of this year’s Pisces cycle. The serene energies of the new Pisces moon on February 24th make it an ideal time for meditation. When that moon moves into Aries a couple of days later however, be prepared for an astrological bumpy patch from the 26-28th due to this Aries moon not being particularly well aspected. Staying aligned with peaceful Pisces energies is the key to a smooth ride here. March 6th marks the onset of a Venus in Aries retrograde giving all a chance to reevaluate both relationships and possessions. The time to act on the insights gleaned during this retrograde will come after April 18th when the Sun is in Aries and Venus is direct. On March 8th Mercury (ideas) enters Pisces where it will be joined by Mars (desires) on March 14th. With the Sun and innovative Uranus already in these imaginative realms, the 14th-20th portal with four planets in Pisces offers us a lovely and downright groovy invitation to the dreamy and insightful worlds of the fish.

On March 20th the Spring arrives when Sun enters Aries. Much like a loud alarm clock rousing us from the Winter’s slumber, Aries will demand action and give us plenty of energy to take it, which in my book, is all the more reason to hit the cosmic Pisces snooze button now and enjoy the sublime dreamtime presently on hand. In this subterranean splendor you can experience profound acceptance of whatever is changing in your life, and you just might be given the keys to your future.

Sun into Aquarius - Embracing Liquid

In order to become a butterfly, a caterpillar must undergo chrysalis, the portion of its evolution in which its form turns completely into liquid. How apt a metaphor this is as we enter the Sun sign of the water bearer or “carrier” Aquarius in 2009. During this cycle of Aquarius we will experience the year’s first set of eclipses, work through the rest of Mercury’s retrograde and have another Saturn Uranus opposition. And all of this will be taking place while Pluto churns through conventional Capricorn and conservative Saturn retrogrades in Virgo, while Jupiter, Neptune and Chiron amplify the innovative and futuristic energies of Aquarius. We’re in pupal territory.

The Aquarius season starts on Monday, January 19th at 2:40 P.M. PST when the Sun will be greeted by newly arrived and generous Jupiter, spiritually minded and dreamy Neptune and Chiron, the force dedicated to healing our wounds. Aquarius’ quest for the common good, fellowship and Universal love and understanding will set the stage for the inauguration of President Obama, who’s rising sign is also Aquarius. With a Cabinet of wise advisors, we should see a hopeful and sober agenda set by this Administration.

In terms of policy, Jupiter’s expansive outlook will want to add billions to the next stimulus package, Neptune’s unrealistic perspective will consider resources bottomless and Chiron will seek to heal the wrongs of the previous Administration. Those lofty ideals are well and good, but Saturn being retrograde in detailed Virgo and truth demanding and revealing Pluto in cautious Capricorn will constantly question rosy assertions. Add Mercury’s retrograde stance during the first twelve days of the new Obama Presidency, and we’ll likely see numerous revisions to initial proposals.


As I noted in early November, when our first Saturn Uranus opposition occurred on Election Day, themes of conventional wisdom being challenged by new ideas will be the order of the days ahead. And on February 5th we have the second of these cosmic confrontations. Perhaps the vote on the latest stimulus package will take place about that time. If not, the debate will likely be in full swing. Liberal Uranians will call for a New Deal of unprecedented governmental spending while Conservative Saturnians will earnestly question how much more can be added to the $47 trillion public and private debt America has amassed without total economic collapse. And in your own life, expect to feel the drive toward the new and pull from the old hit an intense point in early February.

Adding to the Universal prompt to change will be two eclipses, on January 25th and February 9th. As the sun rises in the morning, we can count on eclipses to change our lives. The degree to which any given set effect your world largely depends on your individual chart. To get your personal bearings, I highly recommend a reading with my talented colleague and top-notch astrologer C.A., especially if you are an Aquarius or a Leo, Aquarius’ opposite sign. At 12Listen and 12Angel change will take the form of a completely remodeled pair of websites that will be introduced during these eclipses (and Mercury retrograde).

As you can see, the Universal chorus is singing of “change” and clearly asking us to envision the future, to scrutinize ideas and aspirations for their soundness, and to do so from a point of inspiration and community. This is the cosmic call to “keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars,” as Casey Kasem used to say. So as you navigate the push and pull of the coming cycle, see the multi-colored wings of butterflies fluttering about majestically on a warm Spring day. A much greater sense of where it all landed will be yours by mid May when Saturn turns direct during the Sun sign of grounded earthy Taurus. In the meantime, embrace the inevitable liquid.

Sun into Capricorn, Change Taking Root

Snow covered cars stranded on white roads in the Midwest, icy tree limbs buckled across frigid streets in the Northeast and even a roaring fireplace to stave off the unusual cold here in Los Angeles herald the onset of winter.  Though the Solstice is still a few days away, on December 21st at 4:04A.M. PST, the annual pull inward into stillness is at hand.  And given that the Sun’s journey through somber Capricorn marks the ending and the beginning of the year and the return of Light, some quiet reflection on the past and the future is wise.  What have we learned during the past year?  What will we create in 2009?   Capricorn offers ambition, pragmatism and stamina, and this year six planets will gather in this cardinal earth sign.  We have a rare opportunity to experience the fullness of this enterprising dedicated energy and to harness its industrious and long-ranging powers.  

December 27th offers a new moon at 4:22A.M. PST and is the day on which six planets will meet in Capricorn.  This is an extraordinary day for contemplation, prayers or ritual for what we want to see manifest in the short and long term.  Remember that now that Pluto is in Capricorn our deepest drives and dreams can meet reality, or reality checks.  This Pluto cycle is 15 years long, so the plans you activate internally or externally at this time can have very long lasting effects.  Assisting this down to earth magic will be Capricorn’s ruler Saturn in fellow earth sign Virgo.  

While the hefty economic changes the world has undergone since this Saturn transit began in September of 2007 may have given it a bad rap, it has been such a crucial and necessary journey.  This has been an exceptional time to get our business in order, to learn money lessons and to consider the impact of our materialism.  And in case we have more to understand or refine, Saturn goes retrograde December 31st through May 16th.  We’re going over the facts and figures, and the books, thoroughly, one more time.  By the time Saturn goes direct we should begin to see the light at the end of this economic downturn tunnel, and 2009 will see Saturn move into Libra in late October. In the meantime, with Pluto now firmly lodged in Capricorn, and Mercury (January 1st) and Jupiter (January 5th) heading into humanitarian-minded, innovative Aquarius where they will join spiritual Neptune and healing Chiron, the higher good that these sea changes are ushering in is in evidence. 

Have you ever turned on the “news” and wondered what entity could possibly describe our world with such vulgarity and distortion?  You’ve likely tuned out the unyielding stream of war, human depravity, suffering and division.  You’re not alone.  Last week the Tribune Company, owner of 12 major daily newspapers and 23 television stations, filled for bankruptcy.  The story behind the story is that on a very large scale, we the people are rejecting this appalling and unbalanced view of ourselves and our lives.  We’ve migrated to the Net, to our social networks, to images of hope, help and connectivity.  And have you been noting the appointments to the incoming Obama cabinet?  This will be the greenest administration in U.S. history, and it will be greeted by a welcoming world eager to heal the planet.  While the fount of fear and violence was being turned off, European leaders were formally embracing the 2020 initiative.  This is a comprehensive plan to obtain 20% of all energy from renewable sources by the year 2020.  

The moon is full on January 10th and the first of 2009’s four Mercury retrogrades begins on January 11th, lasting through the 31st.  The Sun enters Aquarius January 19th and Inauguration Day is of course on January 20th.  Why do I bring this up now?  Because now is the time to begin thinking about the future.  No doubt our world is experiencing colossal changes.  We voted for change.  Our consciousness is our key and our compass for navigating these peacefully.  Are you clinging to an outmoded paradigm or shifting with the tide?  Some believe that a Divine hand paints our world, much like an artist with a canvas.  On Inauguration Day trickster Mercury, ruler of thoughts, dips back into Capricorn, the sign it is in as we begin this winter.  Much like commissioned artists of a bygone era who put little jokes into their work for amusement, Spirit paints Mercury into our current sober scene, asking us to think about what’s going on in our daily lives and in our wider world, and to begin designing balanced paths for ourselves and our planet.  And if we honor winter’s call to look within, these awesome and honest Capricorn energies will help us begin bringing harmonious visions into reality.

Peas in USA Today!!

Wow, Peas is in USA Today today! It's really cool to have one of your real friends in a big national newspaper. Like I said last month, he's a totally great guy. Happy Holidays Peas!

Here's the article.

Well done!

And if you would like to listen to the music, just visit A Christmas Chill's Myspace page.

I'm working on my Sun into Capricorn article and like much of the country, trying to keep warm.

With love,
Elizabeth

About the wrapping paper...

Am I the only one who struggles with the wrapping paper dilemma? Over the weekend I baked, wrote Christmas cards and put together all of the gift packages that needed to be mailed this year, and I didn’t wrap one single present. The cookies had special holiday containers because they need to be boxed securely enough to withstand the postal process. But the notion of using all of that paper, the life of a tree that will only be thrown out shortly after unwrapping, was just something I couldn’t make peace with. I just hope that the folks receiving the goodies understand. At this point, I only do gift wrap for the tots, and even they are required to be tiny and have "eyes all aglow." The only little one of the list this year is four-months-old. I’ll assume he won’t trash me for the absence of tree product.

Still, not wrapping a baby’s present seems kind of Scrooge like, years of societal pressure and conditioning I guess. The Dr. Seuss classic was on last night, btw. In a sea of screaming pundits all of whom seem intent on talking over their fellow commentators and demonstrating the most intolerance for opposing political opinions, mindless mellow dramas and sitcoms, nearly nonstop holiday advertising, which I guess is a welcome break from the endless list of side effects caused by prescription drugs, and various fear and terror mongering, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” was a welcome reminder of the meaning of the season. There’s a new more popular green character with a holiday special. But what little I watched of him involved nose picking, belching and loads of other gross-out acts. Thanks, but not so much. I’ll snuggle up with the sweet Dr. Seuss tale with its vintage animation any holiday.

I guess I could take a poll. The blog marketers insist that polls are the way to drive traffic to my blog, increase sales, blah, blah, blah. But really, that sounds totally exhausting, especially with while teetering on the edge of a cold. Still, because this wrapping paper thing has me feeling a little badly about possibly being perceived as less caring or festive, I’ll put a poll on here. And I’d like to hear from you. It's there above this post, so thanks if you click.

Btw, I put on my first fire today. Silly perhaps for someone living in Los Angeles where it’s 61 degrees, but such a simple and comforting pleasure. It's getting along famously with the pot of chicken soup I made. Happy Holidays!

With love,
Elizabeth