i was so honored to be a presenter at this year’s MANHATTAN COCKTAIL FESTIVAL in nyc. ZODIAC VODKA, my soul mate, sponsored the presentation and supplied the kick ass black cherry vodka that i used to create our welcome drink: the VENUS TRANSIT.

the staff told me later that it was an unusually well-received cocktail… everyone drank their entire glass down! so, thank you for the compliment on my mixology skills, dear festival imbibers : ) apparently, the name was quite well liked too… this one’s definitely a keeper! (and so is the ZODIAC VODKA bottle: each one is a different sign)

proud of my presenter badge ; ) first time i’ve done a powerpoint presentation… see my remote control?

backstage, they’re batching our welcome drink… the VENUS TRANSIT. ps, ZODIAC VODKA is available in NY this july!!! check the website for availability outside of new york.
(slide from presentation below)

each guest got a ZODIAC VODKA goodie bag with a mini compatibility book, a coaster and a glass in the sign of their choice!

THE MCC INDUSTRY INVITATIONAL was held at the andaz hotel on FIFTH AVE & 42ND ST. isn’t that the crossroads of the world?

ps, next year’s MCC is scheduled for May 17-21, 2013. if we’re still here, that is ; )

a special shout out to CAMPER ENGLISH from ALCADEMICS… finally i got to meet my fellow veggie cocktail nerd writer extraordinaire… and yup, he’s as cool as he writes. and i’m happy to report that he asks the most interesting questions! thanks for coming to my seminar, Dear Aries

next shout out goes to lak from PARTY DIGEST… helped make the baroscope reading part of my presentation more hilarious than ever… thanks for swinging by, Dear Libra

and last but not least, shout out to JACKIE SILVER, aka MS. AGING BACKWARDS… a drink a day keeps the doctor away! hee haw.. (we love donkeys) Jackie is a Dear Gemini. (we also love that HIGH WEST & URBAN BOULDER photobooth!)

from the presentation:
“VENUS TRANSIT is a term that describes the movement of Venus, who is more than just a pretty face. She’s an amazon woman! She’s a feminist. And she’s a Goddess. Venus will transit the Sun on June 5th, which will be her last transit to occur in our lifetime, as she only passes over the Sun roughly every 122 years. I can tell you that the Astrologers are abuzz over this heavy duty alignment and the impact it will have on humanity. Her sojourn into our atmosphere will shine her Venusian frequency of peace, beauty and love on us all, to facilitate in our healing process. Synchronistically sandwiched in between a solar eclipse and a lunar eclipse, love is coming to earth in a big way, and is here to stay!

Black Cherry is a plant of Venus and therefore a drink of Taurus and Libra, who are both also ruled by Venus. According to Medieval Astrology, Venusian plants are warm and moist, and their temperment is sanguine. Taurus rules the neck and decolette, and libra rules the buttocks. Any sign can imbibe a VENUS TRANSIT… it’s a tasty opportunity to drink in her divine energy and see the world through her rose colored glasses. Cheers to Venus!

VENUS TRANSIT:
fill glass with ice and add:
* 2 oz Black Cherry Zodiac Vodka
* 1 oz fresh lemon juice
* 1 oz spice syrup*
stir.
garnish with a cherry.*

SPICE SYRUP:
4 opened cardomom pods (both shells and seeds)
2 sticks cinnamon
2 whole cloves
***toast spices to bring flavors out, then add to ½ cup water, ½ cup sugar. Simmer for 20 minutes and strain for use.

BRANDIED CHERRIES:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup water
2 cloves
2 sticks cinnamon
4 opened cardamom pods (skin & seeds)
approximately 1 quart pitted cherries (frozen are ok)
½ brandy

***toast spices to bring flavors out, then to water and sugar. Simmer for 20 minutes and remove from heat. add brandy and cherries. May be used immediately. Store in fridge.

(the use of kangen filtered water will further amplify the flavors)”
–recipe created by gwen sutherland kaiser

i still cannot believe that people patronize BP gas after the atrocities they so knowingly committed. yes, BP planned the gulf spill, they intentionally tapped into an under water volcano of sorts and knew exactly what to do to stop the leak. research it. you’ll be amazed. now to tie in the astrology theme here, let it be known that volcanoes are ruled by mars. this unfortunate event occurred in aries (april 20), a sign ruled by mars. hence, please don’t take this negatively… but the SPILLTINI is an aries. may we all posses that kind of raw power, the one that lives within the soul of every aries. volcanic arien power—gimme some!

but no more! i know i sound like a gospel preaching minister, but seriously, divine intervention is saving our collective asses. while there are still shrimp being born without eyes from the spill : ( there is also a shockingly huge amount of positive news from scientists studying the area. check it out here.

we are very lucky as a species, we humans. we have the entire universe on our team! so, please, give thanks to all the unseen souls, guardian angels, benevolent aliens, and crusading humans who are assisting us in our climb to the new earth. i suggest perhaps drinking a SPILLTINI while you do so:

SPILLTINI

1 oz Oil Infused Vodka*
1 oz Seawater Simple Syrup*
1 oz Fresh Squeezed Lemon
1 Star Fish Garnish

***Rim martini glass with beach sand brown sugar.
***Shake vodka, syrup and lemon over ice.
***Adjust to taste. Strain into glass.
***Float star fish anise for garnish.

SAND RIMMED GLASS: Wet lip of glass with lemon wedge. Rotate lip of the glass in sugar.

OIL VODKA INFUSION: Dump 3 tbsp dried elderberries 4 cups vodka. (find at health food store) Allow to infuse for one week. Strain and store for use. Use immediately, or allow to sit longer for a stronger elderberry

SEAWATER SIMPLE SYRUP: Equal parts brown sugar and water. Simmer on stove and store in fridge.

Belly up or Bottoms up? The choice is ours to make!

In honor of Japan’s one year Fukushima anniversary, i present the Fukushima Kooler. i don’t believe in coincidence. 911 was no accident and i don’t believe 311 (Fukushima) was either. now, one year to the week later, intense earth tremor activity is again occurring in japan. while the original Fukushima disaster was caused by the rogue factions of world governments, these most recent tremors are mother earth’s way of saying i know what you did and have not forgotten.

mother earth, or Gaia, is a living, breathing, conscious being just like you and I. we are all cohabitating on a self-sustaining space ship called earth. we were tricked by the aforementioned rogue factions of our world governments into believing that we are not in control of our destiny and earth is a harsh place to live, and nothing is further from the truth. actually, we are all just avatars of our real selves playing an incredibly real video game. dark against the light… positive versus negative… you know the deal, it’s called duality. but what you may not realize is that it’s just a play you’re acting in. the ultimate bad guy, lucifer, also signed up to play this game, as did every member of the rogue faction of the world governments. if you don’t believe me then please explain why lucifer’s name translates to “light bearer.”

so, if you’d like the universe, or the rogue team, to stop jerking you around… you do have the power. think of your body like a car… if you refuse to drive your own steering wheel, then someone else will do it for you. because everyone knows a car cannot drive itself. team rogue has been steering all of our cars for a very long time, and i’m ready to drive on my own now. aren’t you? they’d like us to drive a fred flinstone jalope. but wouldn’t you prefer to drive a hybrid electric flying porshe? it has never been easier to take the wheel. watch the rogues fall from their positions of power… our new highway is being built and it’s called 2012. what was once referred to as conspiracy theory will become known as truth. so, open your mind to miracles and your heart to magic. know that we are not alone. we have angels, ascended masters, benevolent aliens, and secret societies of earth on our team.

building the new earth, is easier than you might think. for example, did you know that you can change the weather among other crazy things just by using a technique called THETAHEALING? i do it all the time. many japanese people have been removing the radiation from their contaminated food by using theta healing. and did you know that we have teams of “good aliens” working amongst us to help us out of this mess we got ourselves into? it helps to understand that we are ALL aliens. none of us started off on earth. we all “came” here. aliens are simply versions of us from other corners of the universe! and aliens have been on this planet for eons. how do you think the pyramids got here? how do you think we got up into space? hello crop circles? why do you think the government denies their existence? why do you think there are so many scary alien movies out there? to brainwash us into thinking aliens are bad, that’s why! aliens are here to help so let’s let em do what they came to do!

but back to astrology, the country of japan is a libra. on one side of its scales she weighs the ancient traditions of her past (whaling) against the progressive innovations of the present future. japan is still an insultingly patriarchal society, but ironically their scientists create the world’s leading inventions. they can make fuel from water. they invented kangen water, which cures cancer. imagine the inventions they haven’t yet shared with the world!

tamarind is ruled by mars, ancient ruler of scorpio. scorpio symbolizes the phoenix rising from the ashes of fukishima. japan is rebirthing itself like the greatest of scorpios. the rest of the world watches in awe as the japanese people calmly take each beyond challenging day in their stride. even their pets are to be commended. japans’s handling of this UNnatural disaster is admiral. so, cheers to japan.

FUKUSHIMA KOOLER:
2 oz shochu
2 lychees
tamarind water
3/4 oz lime juice
1/2 oz agave
2 dashes peach bitters
***muddle a lychee and bitters. add shochu, agave, lime. shake and double strain into an ice-packed high ball. top with tamarind water. garnish with a lychee.

(PS, shochu is a japanese spirit that contains about half the calories and alchohol content of most booze. good for lightweights, great for the bikini)

TAMARIND WATER:
***this is the most DELICIOUS juice. it’s great to drink alone, but we are using it in a cocktail here.
***buy tamarind pods at most ethnic markets and of course online. look for the sour ones, not the sweet ones.
***peel between 15-20 tamarind pods, leaving veins attached. simmer with 8 cups sugar and 16 cups water for 20-30 minutes. macerate to the best of your ability in the pot. then strain. will last a couple weeks in the fridge.

throw a WHAT’S YOUR SIGN WINE GLASS PARTY, complete with tarot card reader, astrologer and numerologist.

UVA SPA & WINE did just that… and it was a hit. why? because astrology is HOT. astrology is what the BEAUTIFUL people are into. it’s what the celebrities like. but you know what i say? celebs, schmelebs. astrology is what REAL people are into! OCCUPY
YOUR
GLASS : )

WHAT’S YOUR SIGN GLASSES are beautiful on the outside, and the inside too. they are brimming over with integrity:

***MADE WITH LOVE IN THE USA!
***PORTION DONATED TO ANIMAL CHARITY!
***LEAD & CADMIUM FREE INK!
***GWEN’S ORIGINAL ASTROLOGICAL ILLUSTRATIONS!
***CUTE HANDMADE BOTTLE CAP WINE CHARM!
***COLOR UNIQUE TO EACH SIGN’S ENERGY!
***SIGN-SPECIFIC BAROSCOPE READING ON IT!
***ANCIENT QUOTE: “We are born at a given moment, in a given place and, like vintage years of wine, we have the qualities of the year and of the season of which we are born.Astrology does not lay claim to anything more.~Carl Jung”

BOYS like astrology too.

SERIOUS stuff going on here (with an anything but serious sign, aries), pouring the nectar of the gods. something they are excel at, i might ad ; )

leos always LOVE anything INTOXICATED ZODIAC. look at all those orange leo glasses below!

awww, love those sweet little cancers.

gemini, i guess you’re ok too.

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. check out this pic of dragons recorded flying in the sky!

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.

Helpful Site:
OnlineUniversities.net is a resource with information on culinary arts classes.

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.