One rushes on stage with new concepts and shocking evolution while the other clings to the status quo and suppresses rash behavior. The last time they played together Americans elected the first African American president while a “mavericky” woman and her old-school running mate kept things strange. It’s not surprising our president is a liberal thinker (Uranus) who is forced to work within old structures (Saturn).

Now they’re back. What do they have in store for us? It was 45 years ago, in and around 1965, when these two last danced. We know what happened then: civil unrest, riots, burning bras, drug use, war resistance, assassinations, free sex, and liberation of people in ways we hadn’t seen before. What will these two bring this time, especially when Pluto, who is hanging around behind the curtain, comes on stage this summer to add his part?

When the idea for change comes from within ourselves, we usually like it. It is inspiring. But when change comes in as an independent with a mind of its own (Uranus) it can seem like a rebellious teenager. Just when we think things are calm it sulks around, keeps us awake at night, and makes us want to gain greater control.

Wise souls among us know that change is all we can truly depend on. We can’t escape it, though we try, and in many cases we must let it be. Mostly we try to avoid change because we have no idea what is in the future and we really don’t want to alter our world view. We decide it is best to keep things as they are, or how they used to be (Saturn). Plus, we don’t want to experience the feelings of loss (Pluto) that often accompany change. What if we terribly miss what we had?

(image) The idea of change, and change itself, brings up unnecessary fear which then causes unwarranted stress on the body and mind. One of our tasks as human beings is to overcome fear, especially the useless fears that pervade our modern lives. I see fear restricting the body, mind, and spirit, shrinking one’s life experience into an uncomfortable little box. It takes our minds to dark narrow places where we lose a broader, more balanced perspective.

We have the unknown future in front of us, unpredictable circumstances will occur, our country and its people will do or say things we don’t like. We can either grow our fear or live every moment as if it were sacred, remembering that even the most unusual of circumstances can be profoundly healing and enriching, bringing in higher wisdom and understanding.

One way to overcome fear is to develop a sense of trust and faith in something greater than yourself, such as a belief that there is something beyond the ordinary mundane life. World religions and philosophies have sought to provide this for people, but many of them have fallen short of actually teaching a person how to be free from useless fears. The responsibility is on each individual.

One way to reduce fear rather than expand it is simply to become aware of it, knowing that the wiser path welcomes change, accepts the inevitable, and chooses not to fear it. By becoming aware of our habitual reactions to the unknown future, by acknowledging our resistance to the feelings loss brings, by being aware of the times when someone says something that refutes our world view and ignites our own fears, we can approach life in a more balanced way.

When we try to keep our lives, surroundings, and viewpoints the same, Uranus and Pluto will surely come along to roll them around a bit, and thankfully so. Do we really want to live a life so thin and safe that there is no new experience, expansion, or advancement of the mind and spirit? In these rapidly changing times, which are just gaining momentum, the more we can flow with change and allow our minds to be free, the better off we will be. Perhaps in the process, we can grow calmer, wiser, more mature, and more peaceful. Cheers, Christina

a note from gwen: i’m proud to bear the middle name of sutherland, which is the family crest of SANS PEUR (without fear.) this motto relates so well to christina’s article that i just had to include it! that the mascot is a wild cat, makes me like this logo all the more… just remember everyone, FEAR is an acronym for “False Evidence Appearing Real.” this valuable snippet of information was channeled from ascended master, HILARION.

if you’re brave enough to try some classic cocktails, these two would be an honorable place to start:

ROB ROY (courageous scottish hero who gwen’s related to way back)
1.5 oz Scotch
0.5 oz sweet Vermouth
Fill a mixing glass with cracked ice. Add Scotch and sweet vermouth. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry.

TRINITY (sexy, fearless heroine of the gwen’s favorite movie, the matrix.)
3/4 oz dry vermouth
3/4 oz sweet vermouth
3/4 oz gin
Stir all ingredients with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and serve.

Dr. Christina Grant is a holistic healer and spiritual counselor who uses astrology in her work to help people better understand their purpose and life circumstances. She works in person and by phone. She has helped hundreds of people attain physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being through personal transformation. Her writing is published nationwide. To learn more, see WWW.CHRISTINAGRANT.COM

enter PINKY VODKA—valentine’s day solved. it’s a bouquet in a bottle! boy or girl, any lovely human will lust for this exquisitely designed vessel. sexy and slender, it’s shape emulates the style of luxury perfume. inside, the hand-blended swedish vodka is a rose quartz shade of blushing pink derived from rose petals, violets and wild strawberries, which all come together in a subtle floral nose and flavor.

despite the flowers, your man won’t think this is too girly. he’ll like it even more if you play bad bad bartender and shake your booty while shaking up a rose water gimlet. don’t forget to rim… the glass. he just might propose on the spot.

visit PINKY, the world’s most beautiful vodka.
750 ml $50; WALLYWINE.com

DRINK FOR THOUGHT:
apparently we don’t know the zodiac sign of st. valentine. it is however, ironic, that this holiday was created in the month of aquaruius, which is the sign of universal love. we as a society have chosen to take aquarius’ one love concept and make it intimate. valentine’s day is now a romantic love holiday, rather than the holiday of love for humanity it was perhaps intended to be?

This St Valentine’s Day is a truly fabulous day for romance, as the Sun (guys) and the Moon (gals) are in a beautiful aspect.

At dawn on 14th February the day dedicated to Women and St Valentine, the patron saint and martyr of Love, the Moon in Libra enters the seventh house of relationships. And Jupiter and Mars are aligned in Aquarius in the twelfth house of spiritual transformation.

IT IS A COSMIC VALENTINE! In 1969, the song Aquarius, forecast this next Aquarian precursor:

“When the Moon is in the seventh house and Jupiter aligns with Mars. Then peace will guide the planets and love will steer the stars”

Turns out, this is actually happening on Saturday Morning! At dawn on 14th February the Cosmos actually embodies this perfect alignment to support our collective manifestation of love and peace and dawning of the Age of Aquarius.

Tokens from the Goddess! In the ancient world, February 14th was a special day dedicated to the Feminine Divine.

last summer, i attended the NYIGF, a trade show in new york city. i spied a mammoth-sized martini glass and had to make it mine. ALL MINE. nothing would stop me from aquiring this awesome piece of plastic. except OPRAH that is. i made an appointment to return to the exhibitor’s booth at the end of the show and pick up my huge martini glass… i was so exited!!! however, i arrived to be told that the OPRAH peeps had beat me to the punch and swiped it right out from under me. i was astonished… how could they possibly think they would benefit more from giving it to OPRAH, than to me. the nerve. life is so cruel… oprah, how could you? (i finally did get myself a mammoth martini glass. it took a few months of incessant nagging, but all worth it : )

ok, fast forward to now… i just found out that OPRAH has purchased – yes, paid for lock, stock and barrel – her astrological constellation and ruling planet (for an undisclosed 8 digit figure). hell, i didn’t even know they were up for sale! to repeat, OPRAH owns AQUARIUS and URANUS. the latter of which she likes to refer to as MYANUS®. whada sense of humour, that OPRAH. in january 2006, she unveiled her “birthday present to herself” in front of an all-aquarian audience that was later presented with AQUARIAN gemstone bracelets and horoscopes written by OPRAH’S personal astrologer, Steadfast. (who knew?) so between her love of large glassware, expensive planets and fruity tipples, OPRAH is a serious zodiacal intoxicant!

here are some of OPRAH’S favorite liquid things:
OPRAH’S FAVORITE POMEGRANATE MARTINI RECIPE
OPRAH’S LEGENDS LEMON DROP MARTINI

like say, hillary clinton, who imbibed in some very profitable insider trading. she probably used half of what she made to shut the media up. but it happened… about ten years ago she turned $1,000 into $100,00 on some innocent factory farmed beef cows in less than a year. she should have been sharing a cell with poor martha. that why peeps, hillary is a lyer, and if you vote for her, you’ve been swindled. obama is the shit – vote for him. BTW, if you vote republican you deserve to piss warm beer for the rest of your life.

ok, back to paris… i believe paris hilton is the epitomy of aquarian energy. for starters, she’s a blond. and as i’ve said, if constellations had hair, aquarius would be a blonde. she’s completely misunderstood for an utter bimbo, which is of her own doing of course. however, the inability to coherently express oneself is an aquarian trait, and i believe paris wears this one well. this bubbly blonde may have gotten screwed out of her inheritance by gramps (i can’t blame him one bit), but she’s only got more gigs lined up. just one of them is her new champagne endorsement, where “paris is selling sex in a very tasteful way.” how interesting is it that this aquarius is selling champagne in a can? aquarius is the sign of strange and you can’t get stranger than that. why, she’s gonna have more money than her gramps at the rate she’s going! and if she continues along her new “do good for the world” path, then who are we to complain? alledgedly, a percentage of sales from the new RICH PROSECCO champagne, will be donated to charity. cut her some slack peeps, she’s not as awful as she seems! vote: people for paris : )

if you haven't tasted the libational revelation taking the spirit world by storm, enlighten yourself, and do it as soon as you can. st germaine is quite frankly the best liqueur i have ever tasted. such a special blend could only be inspired by an

***the son of Francis II Rákóczi, the Prince of Transylvania, by Rákóczi’s first wife

***the illegitimate son of Maria Anna of Pfalz-Neuburg, the widow of Charles II of Spain

***the son of the king of Portugal (presumably John V)

***he has been described as a courtier, adventurer, charlatan, inventor, alchemist, pianist, violinist and amateur composer, but is best known as a recurring figure in the stories of several strands of occultism.

***and he is believed to have many magical powers such as the ability to teleport, levitate, walk through walls, influence people telepathically, etc.

***In the New Age beliefs regarding him, St. Germain is always associated with the color violet and the jewel amethyst;
Germain is known is esoteric circles as “The Cosmic Master of the Age of Aquarius.”