a note from gwen: if you were a LOST junkie like moi, you’ll remember that “The final message of Lost is an interesting one, a profound one and the mythology surrounding it will be debated among viewers for as long as the series ran.” To those who missed it, the ending depicts the series sage and hero, jack shepard, dying. His last fleeting thought is… “let it go,” and as he thinks it, he watches his unlucky 747 successfully and finally take off from the island. let it go, huh? i keep hearing this from psychics, healers, jack shepard, and now astro shrink. but, i gotta tell ya… this whole lettin’ go thing is easier said than done, and it is certainly done easier with alcohol…

ASTRO SHRINK: Do you feel as though your worldview is transforming? I feel as though my own is in a constant state of change, and even though I might resist initially, I find my viewpoint arrives at a better place when all is said and done. The resistance is nothing more than fear anyway, that something will change in a way I don’t want, in a way that ruffles my feathers or upsets the nest.

I believe it is our task to be aware of the useless fears that pervade our modern lives so we can be better equipped to face them. One of the biggest fears is about change, but since fear restricts the body, mind, and spirit, shrinking life into a tight little box, I think it’s a good idea to practice managing it.

Many popular Hollywood movies are full of calamities, which draw in hoards of folks who pay good money to sit and get scared. I’m thinking of one recent movie detailing a catastrophic 2012. Many of you know about the prophecies associated with that year, including it being the end year of the Mayan calendar. People have created all sorts of fear-based stories around this, such as it being the end of days where horrible things are going to happen to us before we all burn in a ball of fiery hell. Then Hollywood puts out a movie so thousands of folks can sit and stare at it, allowing horrific images to burn into the collective psyche.

I suspect it is partly the addiction to adrenalin that makes trauma, drama, blood, and guts intriguing to people. Could it also be a refusal to harness one’s mind for the sake of good? To get into the director’s chair of one’s own mind means to take responsibility for one’s personal fears. Uh-oh. Too scary! Some would say, “How can I take responsibility for the fears I experience? Life just gets thrown my way and I have to deal with it somehow!”

Although we have to deal with it, we do have choices. We can grow our fears or live every moment of our life as if it were sacred. Even the worst of times can be life’s most deeply healing and enriching, bringing us to an entirely new place of wisdom. On the other hand, our fears
increase and grow stronger when we think about them and give them a place at the dinner table. They multiply when we watch the news and agree with the newscasters that things are really, really bad. Naturally our fears increase when we share them with others and convince them that it is true, it’s a quite scary place, this planet earth, and we all might die someday. Or, at the very least, we might not get what we want. Humph!

(photo) In my neck of the woods, I run into lots of folks talking about what’s happening in the world. Sometimes this means who’s running for governor in my home state of California, what is the true meaning of our troops being in Afghanistan, or issues involving sustainability. Other times it means things like crop circles, spaceships, government-enforced vaccines, natural disasters, and yes, the potential end of days in 2012. I usually listen a bit and then spend some time giving an alternative view in hopes it can help folks come out of the fear that has taken over their thoughts. Just for fun, listen to a conversation about 2012 between Fear and Non-fear.

“Oh boy, we better get ready to hang on because the earth is going to rumble! We are going to have earthquakes, tsunamis, maybe even nuclear war.” So? “Well, our houses, which are financially under water, will be smashed and literally under water! Or worse, there could be horrible explosions!” So? “We might lose everything! People could die!” So? “We don’t want that!” Why not? “Because we don’t!” Why not? “Because everything would be ruined!” So? “We could die!” So? “We don’t want that!” Ok, we don’t want that. What do we want? “We want life to go on as it is, with very little change!” Ok. “And we don’t want calamity and upset!” You are right, we don’t. What do you suppose you will
be doing in 2013? “Fearing something else! Haven’t you heard about alien abductions… do spaceships float?” Why do you ask? Oh, because your house will be under water… “Well, it will probably not be under water.” How do you know? “I don’t! But we are in the midst of great change and we need to prepare for it.” Would you be willing to change your mind? “Change my mind? About what?” About how awful the future could be? “After all I’ve been through? Now I have to change my mind? Oh, I can’t take all this…” Ok. Get back to me if you change your mind.

Silly isn’t it? When we have fear that is not related to the type necessary to crank up the body’s defenses for immediate physical survival, it is an indication that the mind is in a circular cycle, stuck. The way to overcome the fear is to change the mind, to get the thoughts focused on what brings inner peace, instead of more fear.

It is imperative to learn to accept change, not to fear it, and to welcome it. When we allow change to make way for something new, we allow our lives to roll forward. We allow ourselves to grow. The more we can flow with change in life and allow our minds to be free, the easier it is to live in the moment and enjoy this life, this day, this minute, right now.

so how about a little…
DEATH IN THE AFTERNOON?
absinthe
champagne
pour into flute and enjoy your death of sobriety
(photo)

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

My friend John asked me to write about the universe. I mentioned this to another friend, a fellow writer, and she said, “Oh my God. That is such a huge topic.” She thought my friend meant to talk about the whole universe. Actually, he meant for me to discuss what I think about the usage of the term in daily conversation.

This word “universe” is now in ordinary speech in a way it wasn’t just a few years ago. It turns up in this way: “The universe didn’t want me to have that house.” Or, “Apparently the universe wants me to go to Arizona instead of Maui.” It is used in relationship talk as in, “The universe will send you the right partner when you’re ready.” It’s used in job conversations, too: “Dan was fired because the universe didn’t want him in that position. It wasn’t right for him.”

We now talk about The Universe as if it is an all-powerful being, capable of running our lives. We have elevated it to more than mere matter, energy, planetary configurations, black holes, the Milky Way, and vast space. It is now… get ready… God. (photo)

Perhaps many people have become more comfortable in this day of church-and-state correctness to use a term that doesn’t exclude, turn off, or aggravate anyone. I believe “the universe” is this term. Who can be offended by it?

To answer my own question, someone like my mother. Raised by a Southern woman who in her older years was proud to have a PTL Club bumper sticker on her Pontiac, she would be offended or at least annoyed if I said, “Mom, the universe must not want you to have perfect vision anymore.” Or, “The universe obviously doesn’t want you to run on the treadmill, otherwise your foot wouldn’t hurt when you do it.” She would be certain I’d gone off the deep end.

Just the same, in this bubble we call California, I hear phrases such as these as a matter of course. Wondering whether it was primarily “new thought” communities using the term, I got my answer just yesterday when reading about retirement in an ordinary New York Times bestseller. I saw “The Universe” has its hands in that field too, right there in the practical, no-nonsense advice pages of what to do with your money.

So has God become The Universe? Or did The Universe become God, which now is reverting back to itself? I don’t have this answer, but I do have a sense of what the term implies.

You’d probably better mix yourself a drink at this point, how about a UNIVERSE COCKTAIL?

½ oz Midori melon liqueur
½ oz Vodka
½ oz Lime juice
½ oz Pineapple juice

Shake for 30 seconds in an ice-filled shaker and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Relax and read on.

If The Universe is an active participant in our lives, our worldview includes the idea that conscious and unconscious forces play a role in ultimate order. One assumes circumstances play out for a reason. From this perspective, giving some responsibility to the all-powerful Universe for the way things turn out is a relief. It’s not entirely our fault when plans go awry and we make messes. Even catastrophes might have a higher purpose.

Last week an environmental group spokesperson said perhaps the oil devastation in the Gulf of Mexico is yet another sign from The Universe that we must develop alternative energy. Many people agree. However, to see it conveyed on national news indicates people believe things happen for a reason. The notion has slipped into the national psyche without the “God” terminology that seems to separate people.

People want to believe that the worst of circumstances are not just random and their suffering isn’t for nothing. We look for signs showing whether some good might result from the terrible situations we humans can find ourselves in. This is one of the roles belief in God plays in the lives of humans. But to discuss God in mixed company is awkward. Unless you are in a fairly homogenous community, religion is best not broached if one wants to keep the peace. Perhaps this is why “The Universe” was birthed.

Beyond explaining the unknowable, The Universe might have further practical use. If we adopt the idea that all things happen for the best and highest good of all, we foster faith that The Universe does not conspire against us, but actually causes and prohibits things from happening in order to keep us on our right path.

For example, I remember stories just after the attacks on September 11th. People said they were meant to be on one of the airplanes or in their office but something odd prevented them from actually getting there. “The Universe stopped me from being on time because it wasn’t my time to go.” It is given the same meaning as, “God wasn’t ready for me yet.”

Maybe when we use “The Universe” to talk about our lives, we get to have a little faith in a Higher Power without the added discomfort around revealing religious beliefs. I don’t have the answers to this, but I do find humanity’s dance with religion and faith an interesting one to consider, especially in this place we call a melting pot.

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

ASCENSION is a book unlike any i’ve found in that it really goes into detail on each and every ascended master. for example, call me a caveman, but i was not aware that our statue of liberty was modeled on an ascended master! in this fascinating book, the author includes countless personal anecdotes–from being accosted by an angel posing as a trash collector, to being passed on the road by an ascended master cyclist–she’s got some luck!

unbeknownst to me, we new yorkers have our very own city protecter: the roman goddess, Libertas (laten for liberty), who is the embodiment of freedom. The author writes that while visiting mount shasta, she saw a vision of lady liberty hovering above manhattan pouring golden light on the city. so how cool is that? the big apple is a golden delicious… ironcially, that’s my favorite variety.

so to those of you wondering, what the hell is ascension? the author explains that “ascension means freedom. you can live anywhere and materialize anything. you can continue to serve on the earth plane or another plane. you can travel anywhere at the speed of thought and materialize your desires instantaneously.” pretty sweet, huh? the author goes on to ask “are you ready to live as an immortal being? after all, your higher self is as spiritual now as it will ever be, and you are as immortal today as you ever will be. your soul lives eternally. it is possible to become an ascended master right now.”

ASCENSION: Connecting with the Immortal Masters and Beings of Light, by Susan Shumsky $15.99

reusable ice cubes made the old fashioned way–from stone. i betcha the cavemen used cubes similar to these! first the wheel, then cubes… next–well the future is a blank canvas. so next time you enjoy a good stiff drink, be sure to get your rocks off-or in-with some good ‘ole WHISKEY STONES. it’s even possible the stones will enjoy their tipple submersion… after all, did you know that rocks have a consciousness?

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

this little tale should make you feel better about your life:

after an exhausting week manning my booth at the nyigf, i arrived home sweet home to find that my cats had all come down with tapeworm. spending about 2 days disinfecting every surface in the house i then came to discover that they had roundworm too. awesome. repeat. since half of my cats are 17 plus year old geriatrics, this infestation didn’t sit too kindly with their antique systems. they’ve still not quite recovered. between pill popping (or jamming), enemas, specialized diets, quarantined litter boxes, ridiculously unnatural shedding, and you don’t even want to hear what else, i’ve become head nurse in a feline infirmary…

now i guess the houseplants were feeling neglected from all this sudden attention the four-legged furballs were getting, so they made a play to get some of gwen’s lovin’ for themselves. they went and caught a raging case of mealy bugs–YAH! my fave : ( if you’ve never encountered mealy bugs, well you just don’t know what you’re missing. i’ll spare you the details.

it was around this time that the inclement weather (light snow) caused a power outage for 1 1/2 days. not too unusual for these here parts… but the electric did come back on, and i jumped in that shower faster than you can say glogg, turned the heat up to 85 degrees, made food on the stove (as opposed to the bbq) and checked my email. i was as happy as a pig in shit.

and then the shit hit the fan, and a tree brought the power wire down. utopia equals game over. i needed alcohol and i needed it now. but as you might imagine, i’d grown weary of chilled cocktails—so i decided to try my hand at swedish cuisine, and attempt the traditional libation known as glogg, or in this particular case, ghetto glogg. best prepared in 45 degrees with a flashlight and gloves. i managed to scrounge up some brandy, red wine, honey, anise, cardamon and cloves in total darkness and throw them on the grill. i almost threw myself on there too. though tasty, the ghetto glogg was mcdonalds hot. i threw in a snowball and went to bed. crawling underneath my 16 covers, with my 16 cats, and my cup o’ ghetto glogg, i vowed not to leave the second floor of the house… because guess what? heat really does rise. now was as good a time as any to read my tarot cards… drawing the devil card for my immediate future, things were decidedly not looking up. worried, but resigned i finally passed out. i woke to 2 feet of snow–and counting–and 3 trees blocking the driveway. damn… should have made my escape while i had the chance. now i was trapped (devil) and had to find someone with a chain saw asap. every friend i called was busy with their own disaster. i was screwed. thank god for the neighbor i’d never met who was out walking his dog as i desperately tried to free tree branches from their snow tombs. this earth angel came back with his chain saw, and as soon as the trees were cleared the plow truck showed and i high taled it outta there. it wasn’t until 6 days later that i regained access! S I X L O N G D A Y S. thank god for starbucks and their free wifi.

NON-GHETTO GLOGG:
* 2 (750 milliliter) bottles red wine
* 2 ounces dried orange zest
* 2 ounces cinnamon sticks
* 20 whole cardamom seeds
* 25 whole cloves
* 1 pound blanched almonds
* 1 pound raisins
* 1 pound sugar cubes
* 5 fluid ounces brandy

1. Pour wine into a large pot. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Wrap orange zest, cinnamon sticks, cardamom and cloves in cheesecloth, tie with kitchen string and put into pot. Let boil for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in almonds and raisins and continue to boil for 15 more minutes. Remove from heat.
2. Place a wire grill over the pot and cover with sugar cubes. Slowly pour on brandy, making sure to completely saturate the sugar. Light sugar with a match and let it flame. When sugar has melted, cover pot with lid to extinguish flame.
3. Stir and remove spice bag. Serve hot in cups with a few almonds and raisins.

there is not a shred of doubt in my mind that we are being completely FUCKED with. most would say i’m a conspiracy theorist, but i prefer to call myself a curious skeptic, anxious to find loving truth under each rock i turn. with my rising sign in scorpio, i’m a natural sleuth, and there aren’t many rocks that escape my scrutiny. often, i’m shocked to find greed and deception laying under the most beautiful rocks. especially lately, in a time when it seems a new cover up is exposed daily. the question is WHO exactly is fucking with us… aliens? the government? an elite secret society? the more one researches any of those three, the more convinced one becomes. in fact, one could spend days googling, youtubing, and surfing to be totally convinced that we are under attack. or one can stoically dismiss the mounting evidence as outlandish, over-imaginative trash talk. all i ask is that you open your mind to the possibility… OPEN YOUR MIND. then make your decision to believe or not believe these “theories”.

if you don’t want to go though the tedium of research, you can cut right to the chase with some groundbreaking films put out by new production company, REALITY ENTERTAINMENT. they have several titles from which to choose, but THE CONSPIRACY TO RULE THE WORLD, FROM 911 TO THE ILLUMINATI, is a good one to start with. i suggest you watch this video to learn how deeply entangled in this web we really are. this film exposes stuff i’ve never seen on the web! 911 was planned: a european news anchor said the tower had fallen as it stood erect in the background. it fell 20 minutes later, so obviously the press release went out early. there were two huge attachments on the bottom of each plane, and they’re captured on film! the hole in the pentagon wall could not have been physically made by an airplane–it’s been proven. numerous firefighters swear they saw bombs go off while they were inside WTC. and my personal favorite is the benign enough looking, but very sinister organization called COMMON PURPOSE. well now, how many times have i heard obama speak those two words in his speeches? apparently the phrase “common purpose” is simply another way of saying “new world order” which is code for “slave system.” hint: we’re not going to be the slave masters if you catch my drift… this video will WAKE you up to the new reality that is upon us!

the key to solving our little predicament lies in staying positive and acting constructively. if you watch an enlightening video like this and then want to kill yourself, well we haven’t solved a thing, have we? that would be akin to someone saying, oh gosh i don’t where to start conserving energy, or saving money, or eating healthy — there’s just too much! and then they just shut down and don’t do a thing because they are frozen with fear, or overwhelmed with depression. just remember KNOWLEDGE IS POWER, and the only way to win this war (if you believe we are its victims) is to THINK POSITIVE, BE HONEST, ACT KINDLY and be a RESPONSIBLE CITIZEN of the earth abiding by SPIRITUAL LAW. that my friends, is the only way we can win. so what are you waiting for? stop the denial… admit you should be more informed… watch the mind-blowing flicks from REALITY ENTERTAINMENT…

mais oui, c’est vrai! a retailer in france, AUX2MONDES now carries intoxicated zodiac candles. to me, this is just the coolest thing in the world. herve fond, owner, has a penchant for environmentally friendly, wordly-type products. this is obvious in his choice of name: ALL THE WORLD. merci, monsieur fond––i am honored.

you know… a few years back, a psychic dice reader, JEAN NASOL, predicted that intoxicated zodiac would be sold internationally and i couldn’t quite believe it. but here we are… and it turns out she was right. a votre sante!

TAUREAU: “Bougie à la cire de soja et aux huiles essentielles. Un parfum créer juste pour vous ou pour votre conjoint, réconfortant, et apaisant. L’hibiscus appartient a Vénus est et bénéfique aux Taureaux”

meet FOR TEQUILA LOVERS, the first and only social network for tequila lovers, by tequila lovers. filled with anything and everything about tequila, agave, mezcal and mexico, this site is right on trend. but wait… there’s more, shop the STORE! it’s stocked with dozens of rare and hard to find tequilas. who dares say TEQUILA’S NOT THE NEW VODKA?

and where else can you get free therapy? meet BOOZE LADY: SPIRITUAL ADVISER, who calls this site her home. read below for my recent Q & A:

IZ:
1. WHAT IS THE THE PROPER TIP AMOUNT ON COCKTAILS?

2. A COCKTAIL RECOMMENDATION TO GET ME CLOSER TO GOD?

BL:
1. IT DEPENDS AND 2. IT DEPENDS. TIPPING IS LARGELY SUBJECTIVE AND AFFECTED BY VARIABLES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO SERVICE, AMBIENCE, POUR, MOOD, AND ALLURE OF THE SERVER. IF YOU WEREN’T OFFENDED OR CAUGHT IN A FIRE, YOU CAN’T GO WRONG WITH 20%. IN A PINCH, ASK YOUR HELPFUL SERVER.

2. AS TO GETTING CLOSER TO GOD, THAT DEPENDS ON WHO YOUR GOD IS. MAYAHUEL, THE TRAGIC BRIDE OF QUETZALCOATL, WAS PUT IN THE EARTH WHERE THE AGAVE SPRANG FOURTH, HER BLOOD TURNING TO NECTAR. TO ARRANGE A MEETING WITH THESE DEITIES ONE SIMPLY NEEDS TO CHOOSE A NICE AGAVE TEQUILA, LATHER, RINSE AND REPEAT AS NEEDED. I’LL EXPECT A FULL BRIEFING ON YOUR MEETING…..

ALL THE BEST, BL

ok… so… thanks booze lady… i guess i know what i’m doing tonight… mmmnnnn…. tequila all over!

if you haven’t all ready heard, December 21, 2012 is the end date of the sophisticated Long Count Calendar created by the ancient Maya in Central America. the question is, will this apocalyptic deadline be just that, or will it signal a rebirth of consiousness? seeing as the word “apocalypse” literally translates to “unveiling,” either way you look at it, this whole end of the world business is a good thing.

if you are as curious as i about this new dawning age, the movie 2012, will put to rest a fair amount of your questions. the movie explains how earth is entering the age of aquarius — engrained in our heads if for no other reason than the catchy song “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In.” from the musical Hair, it was released as a single in 1969 by The 5th Dimension. interestingly, the 5th dimension is what the human (or Terran race as aliens refer to us) is in the process of now ascending to. we are finally leaving the 4th dimension… yah!

In astrology, the Age of Aquarius is one of the twelve astrological ages. According to astrologers, it is either the next age to come, or else it is the current age. Each astrological age is approximately 2,150 years long, on average, but there are various methods that can make ages much longer and shorter depending upon the technique used.

VISIT 2012: THE MOVIE

chocolate. i was just told by my new age psychic medical docter dude that i’m allergic to it. well, only sex is better than chocolate, and only by a small margin. so sorry doctor, i cannot and will not give up my chocolate! apparently, pure dark chocolate has a high acidity content, and fyi, acid is bad for our systems. don’t even go down the milk chocolate road… that’s just wrong all the way round. devil’s tool wrong… but so like, here i am, knowing that i shouldn’t be touching chocolate with a ten foot pole and yet there i go rubbing myself all in it. hello? self control? you there? will power? out to lunch—binging on chocolate. and so it goes with me, chocolate, and libra. those troublesome libra men—so hot, so wrong. when oh when will i stay away? i’m trying to refrain from both these days—and libra’s LUJURIA is helping me out with some simulated intimacy. a double shot of godiva chocolate liqueur in a dark beer does wonders for the palette and the libido. BTW, the tempting cocoa bean is ruled by venus and is thus a tempting libra. as if you couldn’t have guessed. this beer concoction goes down real smooth, just like libra men.

LUJURIA
one bottle dark beer
double shot godiva chocolate liqueur