2012: this is THE year. as in THE one. as in what we’ve been waiting for. as in don’t F*$! it up. use the extraordinary energy of the next 365 days to craft your new life… the soul mate of your dreams. the career of your dreams. the family of your dreams. for there is a spicy kick to this year that will light all that you capable of imagining on fire. (and that’s fire in a good way, for those who know me ; ) just stay away from dark thoughts and work towards the light of the dragon.

you might think that dragons are mythical creatures living only in games such as dungeon & dragons, books such as harry potter or permanently on the biceps of bikers. but you would be mistaken. i only recently learned this myself: and that is that the dragon realm is as real as any other… take for example the angels. just because you can’t see them doesn’t mean they don’t exist. think of it this way… when you look at a hummingbird, you can’t see its wings, for they are moving so quickly. but, they are there! some things vibrate too rapidly for the human eye to pick up. just like a dog can hear sounds that are inaudible to the human ear… same thing!

i know that when i am very tired and have to stay up late, i will often call on the energy of the dragon realm to help pump me full of their special brand of metaphysical cocaine. and it works! i’m always amazed that i didn’t get tired. so, this 2012, call on the energy of the dragon and fire up your life. how bout a spicy tipple to help get you started?

DRAGON MARGARITA:
3 oz charred pineapple jalapeno infused tequila
1.5 oz triple sec
1.0 oz simple syrup
1.0 oz lime juice

Shake over ice. strain into chili salt rimmed glass. Garnish with a slice of jalapenjo pepper.

PINEAPPLE JALAPENO INFUSION: Slice a ripe pineapple and a jalapeno pepper in half, and grill. Submerge into tequila-filled vessel. Allow to infuse for at least one week.

CHILI SALT: mix chili piquin with kosher salt.

did you know there was such a holiday? well there is! celebrate this most interesting of holidays by imbibing an ALIENTINI below:

*Alien Secretion
*Green Alien
*Alien Urine Cocktail
*Alien Cumshot
*Alien Orgasm”
*Alien Cocktail A

go aliens! remember, aliens are our friends : ) cheers to WORLD DISCLOSURE DAY!

via GALACTIC FREE PRESS

if you live in the northern california region, check out my big interview on tv! how ironic that it’s earth day, a holiday that honors what has come to be a very large component of IZ: environmentally products and practices. so, that’s this friday, april 22, at 7 pm, channel 5: EYE ON THE BAY. don’t miss it! happy earth day! cheers!

i’ve always loved angels. since i can remember, i’ve read books on our guardian angels, and collected images of them. so when i came across a whiskey named ANGELS ENVY, i perked up. for me, the name alone is reason enough to buy this newly minted, yet old-souled bourbon. but upon tasting this divinely delicious blend… i found another reason–it’s out of this world! holy perfect bourbon. but the question is… apart from its heavenly bouquet, what prompted the name of this new whiskey? apparently, industry insiders have long referred to the whiskey that escapes the barrels during the aging process through evaporation as “the angel’s share.” poor angelic beings, all they get is fumes. we mortals get the good stuff. so, if you’re a whiskey fan, ask your angels to bring you a bottle of this sacred spirit: ANGELS ENVY!

a personal note on angels… my ass would be grass without them. they have saved my life on more than one occasion, counseled me on infinite others, and comfort me daily. thank you angels! i had an angel reading once, and i have two guardian angels– as we all do. mine are named linda and maria. maria is the more outspoken one, and linda is the more softspoken one. there is always one loud and one soft, for everyone, no exceptions. our guardian angels stay with us during our entire journey on this earth plane, and appear translucent if you are able to see them. like many of us, i also have two spirits acting as angels. they keep the appearance of human form, and while they perform all the duties of guardian angels, they are technically spirits, serving in an angelic role. my two “non-angel angels” were both humans in my past lives. one is named gabriel, who was apparently my brother many lives ago. the other is named jennifer, who informed me she was my teacher in a past life. fascinating, huh?! cheers!

ANGELSENVY.com

How to Clear the Energy of Your Home or Office

Illness, violence, arguments, drug-use, thoughts, and moods influence the energy of a place. When you enter someone’s home or office, part of you automatically notes how it feels. Conscious or not, this awareness seems to be a survival mechanism, keeping you alert for protection and safety.

Sometimes I meander through our neighborhood “open houses” to satisfy a curiosity about what type of home is selling for what price. These homes all speak to me about their dwellers. In some of the homes, the energy is such that it’s hard to breathe. If realtors were aware of how this energy affects the unconscious of potential buyers, they would clear the home energy first, before putting it on the market.

Clearing a place serves to reset the energy. Just as you would clean dirty floors in a new home, it’s important to clean the energy. If you can’t see this energy, that doesn’t mean it’s not there. Before you bring anything into your new home or office, clear the space. Otherwise, you’re living in someone else’s energetic dirt, which can affect you.

I once toured a famous historic home near Boston. Our small group was told about the home’s original owners – folks who lived there when the first shot “heard ‘round the world” occurred. It was one of those places I had trouble breathing in, which was one sign the energy was stagnant. When we entered an upstairs bedroom, I could not only feel illness in the air, I could smell it. I said, “Someone had a long illness, probably died in this room.” The tour guide and the others looked at me as if I’d grown a second head. The guide then confirmed that an older woman had died there. I knew part of her was still hanging around.

The energy of folks doesn’t go out the door when they leave. It clings to walls, drapery, furniture, carpet, and the air. When I have moved, I’ve tried to find out what was going on with the former tenants. How was their relationship? Their finances? Their mood?

This coincides with the ancient practice of Feng Shui, which advises us to know the history of the home and its inhabitants before moving in. For example, if someone was ill, or if they fell upon desperate times, financially or otherwise, it’s unadvisable to move in behind them because the same thing can touch you. This can work positively as well. In one home I lived in, a two-story duplex, each of the tenants downstairs began as a single woman and moved out newly-wed.

We aren’t always going to know what happened in a place before we move in. This is why I would clear any home or building as a rule. Clean thoroughly, wipe down walls, shampoo carpets and floors, and let fresh air blow through each and every room. Bring in as much natural light as possible. Sounds, chanting, singing, living plants, fresh flowers, and certain crystals are also helpful in moving and transforming energy.

In tougher cases where something seems strange or you know there was negativity or death, use additional clearing techniques. The main one I use comes from the Native American tradition. This technique was explained to me years ago by a Native American medicine man in the hills near Lake Arrowhead. A friend had just bought a fixer nearby which had a dreadful energy, to the point we didn’t want to enter one of the rooms at all. We wanted the medicine man to come to the house, but he said it wasn’t a good day for him and we could do it ourselves.

Of course, he said to use the Native American herb white sage, wrapped into a tight bundle (sometimes called a smudge stick or sage wand). Open all the windows or just crack them if it’s windy. Open cabinets and closet doors. Light the tips of the sage with a match and extinguish the flame so the wand lightly smokes. Walk counterclockwise around the home, into each room. Allow each corner, cupboard, and closet to receive the smoke. When finished, pass by again in a clockwise direction.

Sage alone creates a void, so it’s advisable to use another herb blended with it such as lavender or sweet grass. This pulls in a more positive energy as the older, stagnant energy exits. If you just have straight sage, use your intention to bring in higher, more positive energy. Our medicine man also advised us to throw sea salt in the corners of the house for good measure and leave white candles burning (with supervision).

There are many different variations on how to clear a space. I’ve found a thorough cleaning combined with the simple use of sage is usually enough. Ongoing, sage can be used to reset the energy of a place after there has been any sort of upset.

SAGE GIN FIZZ
2 oz gin or vodka
.75 oz simple syrup (raw sugar)
.75 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
5 sage leaves

Muddle sage, simple syrup in collins glass.
Add ice, gin, lemon juice.
Top with tonic water. Stir well.

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. For more information, to contact her, schedule a session, sign up to receive her newsletter, or to read her blog, see WWW.CHRISTINAGRANT.COM

found this amazing pic on MAHALAS ASTROLOGY, along with a universal/galactic/celestial synopsis of what’s taking place as we speak in our very heavens! it’s a breathtaking photograph, isn’t it? i just love the heart shape–such a girl over here… and wouldn’t ya know it: i was just thinking how awesome it would be to have a wall calender featuring this type of imagery when i was walking through urban outfitters and what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a notebook with a magnificent celestial image on the cover. so, do you hear me barnes & noble? 2011 wall calender… get crackin! and thanks to sandra for letting us know that LOVE=ABUNDANCE.

if you’re looking for love in what seems to be all the wrong places, have no fear because help is here. astrology goddess, jessica sheperd of moonkissd, wrote A LOVE ALCHEMIST’S NOTEBOOK to lend us all a hand in the relationship realm. in her informative, practical, enlightening, fun and witty book, she outlines the NINE SOUL MATE SECRETS, and explains how she captured her wonderful husband using these very steps. personally, i’m not a big fan of seeking out love… i’ve always subscribed to the theory of when it shows up, it shows up. but if you are actively looking for mr./ms. right, don’t waste your time on match or eharmony, when this book is all you really need. when i read jessica’s book, the information was so sensible, i couldn’t believe i hadn’t read it somewhere else before. but alas no, to me, jessica’s words were for the most part new. the magic element to this book makes it fun, mystical, creative, hip and just about guarantees soul mate success—all for $17.95! so much cheaper than a subscription to lavalife, or that fish site… true love is made in heaven, and manifested on earth, especially with A LOVE ALCHEMIST’S NOTEBOOK at your side… cheers!

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