what’s the big apple without coffee and cabs?

“Friday, June 10, 2011, 6:20 pm MDT, Canon City, CO: A very nice chart with the Moon in Libra (past its constricting conjunction with Saturn), the sign of marriage, approaching harmonious aspects to the Sun/Mercury in Gemini; a lovely, chatty, curious, lively energy. Venus is also in Gemini, and at 6:20 it’s in the 7th house along with the Sun and Mercury …. nice. Venus is sextile Uranus (to keep things lively and spontaneous) and trine Saturn (financial prudence and stability), but also approaching a quincunx with Pluto in the 2nd… taken together, this could spell some financial adaptations/compromises that need to be made. Mars is a little close to the descendant at this hour and might indicate a certain amount of bickering (though you’ll tend to have long fuses; physical exercise could provide a healthy channel for this energy). Overall, this is a nice chart for communication, socializing, reaching harmonious compromises, and enjoying new experiences. Window of opportunity: Say your vows between 6:08 p.m. (Mars leaves the 7th house) and 6:30 p.m. (after which the last few – unpleasant – degrees of Taurus are on the 7th house cusp).”

Since my sister was now planning her ceremony around Gemini’s celestial influence, she of course had to include that theme in her reception. Intoxicated Zodiac Marriage Sign favors accomplished this perfectly, and they are photographed here beautifully.

Inside the shot glass there are dried lavender petals to signify Gemini’s influence and dried Rose petals to symbolize love, both of which can be infused into sugar syrup and then made into a cocktail at home!

A Welcome Drink was served to greet guests that was ruled by sign of Gemini: a simple Lavender Martini. Lavender is ruled by Mercury and is hence a Gemini.

Some old bottles were then painted and labelled with the Gemini Marriage Sign Reading and used as props to spiff up the Marriage Sign concept so guests could understand it more easily.

Here i am, showing off my Lavender Martini! Fleur and Jesse are shown here exchanging Gemini vows… Ironically, Fleur means flower in French.

Overall the reception was a total hit, with no small thanks to the smashing Welcome Cocktail, and the unique favors which enthused the guests to no end… Not to mention the dogs!

Gwen_Intoxicated_Zodiac_CBS_Eye_On_The_Bay

Just when I think there isn’t anything new going on, I get to awaken to a fresh perspective. I recently spent a weekend with a group of 80-somethings. Well, not the entire weekend, but a good portion of it. My mother-in-law, Sue, a gentle-but-mysterious Scorpio (who has never had to color her long dark hair) is now 80. We surprised her one moon-lit Friday night with a party attended by a group of about 50 people. “Amazing an 80-year-old has so many friends!” I heard someone quip. Most of the attendees were indeed her friends, the others were family and her sons’ friends who she knew since they were in grade school.
photo credit
I got to meet many of Sue’s friends, a couple of whom had difficulty navigating the few stairs leading up to the party venue, but all of whom were as mentally spry and fun-loving as teenagers. Dollie, a direct and sassy Aries, is one of Sue’s Stanford friends that lives, not surprisingly, on her own in San Francisco. Just like a ram, she still hikes Bay Area trails. Hip, fashionable, and smart, she wasted no time starting up conversation. “You know what I did last April when I turned 80 to avoid a surprise event like this?” she asked me. “I ran off to Egypt.” Egypt? At 80? Later, I told a friend, “I wasn’t aware of the prejudice I’ve had. I bought into the assumption that we all get decrepit and senile, presumably around age 75.”

But Sue, Dollie, and the others taught me otherwise. Wise and loving, sparkling eyes standing out in wrinkled, knowing skin, I learned some things from my elders this weekend. I learned that life can be fun and interesting and engaging well beyond middle age. Maybe more fun than it is right now. That friendships can last forever. I learned that it isn’t unusual for an 80-year-old woman to be beautiful, stylish, engaging, smart, interesting, funny, and in-the-know. And I had been concerned about entering my mid-40s.

The following night we hosted a smaller dinner party at our house in Sue’s honor. Guests included her 84-year-old sister Claire, here from Geneva nimbly traveling the States visiting friends and family, and 80-year-old Trudy, another one of Sue’s best friends. Nothing about these women was any different than the rest of us except they are calm, patient, and wise. Nothing got past them, either. There is something reassuring about being with these capable, aged women. If they haven’t seen it all, they’ve at least heard about it. As the evening wound down, I was sad to see them go, Claire promising we’d meet again soon.

Many times I’ve considered writing about honoring our elders, because it is something our society doesn’t do. Instead, we ignore them, toss them aside; they are the invisible ones in our worship-the-youth culture. Is this practice we have of valuing youth over wisdom enlightened? We need our elders to teach us, to fill the great void of depth and meaning our culture faces, to be our stability just as they are in indigenous cultures. When will we let them?

I had the great good fortune that weekend of spending time with folks who grew up during the Great Depression, lived through World War II, educated themselves, then experienced decades of interesting events and change while keeping hopeful and engaged in life. If only I could see them on a regular basis, perhaps I’d never think that there isn’t anything different going on in life. No, Dollie would have Egyptian adventures to tell while knowing the best plays and museum exhibits in the city, Sue would know why Stanford beat Cal and why Obama had to send a few more troops to Afghanistan, Claire would demonstrate how at 84 one can keep her mind as spry as a college student, and Trudy would exemplify how to remain calm through anything while preparing crab (“do you have a hammer?”) for a friend’s birthday dinner.

in honor of the gin in this cocktail… how sick is this necklace? buy it! in celebration of women’s golden years, let’s toast with the MERRY WIDOW…cheers to ageless living!

MERRY WIDOW NO.1
0.5 tsp Benedictine
1.0 dash Orange Bitters
1.25 oz. Gin
1.0 each Peel Twist Lemon
0.5 tsp Sambuca
1.25 oz. Dry Vermouth

Stir all ingredients (except lemon peel) with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Add the twist of lemon peel 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

Set of 9 Whisky Stones: $20 teroforma.com
Ideal for chilling your favorite spirit without diluting its flavor
Milled in Vermont by the oldest soapstone workshop in the US. Add three chilled stones to your next dram, let stand for 5 minutes and enjoy. Set of 9 stones + muslin storage bag. Not for use with larger volume drinks.

via the O magazine

IZ Shot Candles were made for Valentine’s Day… Perfect for the lascivious lover on your list. Hot, sexy, dripping, wet wax… what more could we want on V-day?! Make the recipe at home and do cocktail body shots at the same time for twice the fun. Just call me Dr. Ruth.

Email Info@IntoxicatedZodiac.com for wholesale info. Available for viewing or buying online here.

I’d like to also mention that Intoxicated Zodiac donates an annual portion of its sales to animal-related charities. Last year we contributed to THE NATIONAL ANTI-VIVISECTION SOCIETY (navs.org). This year we’ll support NY CLASS (ny-class.org). This group supports carriage horses.

there is still time to get the shot glass candle for christmas!!! perfect for stocking stuffers and chaunaka gifts this holiday, and perfect for birthday all year round… view them here:

remember, a portion of all proceeds will be donated to animal related charity. intoxicated zodiac employs environmentally friendly materials and techniques whenever possible. to give and receive… start the abundance cycle in your life… think about what you buy. IZ is an artist-owned business. thanks for your support—cheers!