​Sun Sign Female Fashionistas

ARIES
“I AM”  March 20 – April 20

​Want something handled?  Ask Aries, then watch her perform with flair, charisma and sizzle, figuring it out on the fly.  This vibrant Mars ‘Just Do It!’ dynamo is on fire.  Her motto:  Fun, fast and furious.  Be first, take charge then knock it out of the park.  Better yet, she’ll run the show and give YOU the orders.  After landing the latest project and surviving a take-no-prisoners workout, she’s up for some heady flirtation.  Better bring your A Game - and protective helmet - if you’re going 3 rounds with the Ram!

Who attracts male attention better than audacious Aries?  Confidently sexy in jaw-dropping, figure-hugging sheath, she owns dramatic red and wears stilettos like a runway model.  Her competitive, pioneering spirit adores the adrenaline rush of the next Big Thing, the bigger the buzz the better.  Those pesky rumors about wearing the pants or being a tad impatient?  Even her Triple A action, adventure and awesome batteries aren’t ever ready.  She needs her Super Hero to keep the passion ignited. 
                   
TAURUS
 “I HAVE”  April 21 – May 20

This Venus ruled Material Girl was born classy, instinctively recognizing quality fabrics by touch, like a wine connoisseur assessing a complex bouquet.  Yes, she aspires to the finer things in life – and love.  Patient, persistent and practical Taurus would rather blow a paycheck on a sensual cashmere sweater or tailored linen blazer than waste precious coin on seasonal trendies.  As ‘Sex and the City’s’ Carrie Bradshaw puts it:  “I like my money right where I can see it, hanging in my closet.” 

Taurus needs to put down roots, preferring tried and true over flash in the pan, unless, of course, that glitter is gold.  Like cultivating her garden, her head for business can accumulate impressive assets, similar to her own elegant, understated charms.  What others foolishly label stubborn is, to her, merely steadfast determination.  She’s got long range plans, and if you come bearing chocolate, a stable portfolio and upscale dinner reservations, they might just include you!

GEMINI
“I THINK”  May 21 – June 20

Airy Gemini is running late, simultaneously reviewing her mental ‘to do’ list, enjoying her BFF’s blind date disaster story and snagging that coveted parking spot while teasing her latest crush via Blue Tooth.  Keep up, okay?  Since there are two of her, the Twins cover more ground than lesser mortals.  She’ll dazzle you into buying Florida swampland with juicy tidbits and mental gymnastics.  Her easy-breezy street wardrobe morphs effortlessly from sunrise yoga to marketing mixer to book club to open mike.

Her Daytimer is usually jammed, since variety is as essential as breathing.  Dithery Gemini is unequaled in decimating her closet during a what-to-wear anxiety attack.  Can you match her quick wit, master her 5 different messaging devices and delight in her multiple personalities?  Then fasten your seat belt!  Despite some detours to greener pastures - and dalliances - she is surely going places.  Gemini Fashionista Twin, Mary-Kate Olsen, says it best:  “The thing about us is we think big.  Huge.”  

CANCER
“I FEEL”  June 21 – July 22

After whipping up the perfect seafood soufflé, this Domestic Diva anticipates your every need.  With Moonbeams in her soul and salt water in her veins, sensitive Cancer thrives by the ocean, its shifting tides reflecting her own ebbs and flows.  She’s happiest at home or cottage in her fluffy bathrobe, brunch croissants scenting the air, dishing with Mom about doings back home. Softly rounded as an oyster pearl, she’s all woman in BBQ apron or baby blue bikini.

The Moon Maiden clams up when hurt, jaws-of-life useless against her protective Crab shell.  “I’m fine!”  Translation: “If I have to tell you, what’s the point?”  After a time-out baking cookies, snapping seascapes, mapping family trees, painting watercolors or sailing the bay, she eventually relents.  Her deepest wish is to nestle with her happily-ever-after, children at her knee.   Oh, and a waterfront home office for that real estate, daycare, catering or caregiving career.   The line forms here.

LEO
“I CREATE”  July 23 – August 22

Up for some playful fun, giddy excitement and a dash of drama?  Every Lioness was born into royalty, no matter how humble her origins, playing dress-up since kindergarten for her big debut.  Her diamond tiara and earrings sparkle as she arrives, basking in her entourage’s admiration.  No one pulls off Red Carpet dazzle - limos, champagne, paparazzi - better than Lady Leo, with stars in her eyes and glitz in her soul.  Better wear designer shades, since jewel tones and blingy accessories shine like the Sun. 

A heart as bright as the gold she adores, she’s inherited the Lioness’s share of charm, talent and charisma.  Trend-setting Leo is centre stage in the heady world of celebs: performance, art, fashion, theatre, jewelry and PR.  “Do you think he noticed me???”  As she trifles with legions of admirers, he wonders what he’s in for, drawn like a moth to her flame.  She flutters her lashes behind cat-eye rhinestone vanity frames and takes another little piece of his heart, the envy of every male with a pulse.

VIRGO
“I SELECT”  August 23 – September 22
 
Virgo the Virgin is a virtual search engine.  Green smoothie or compost tea recipe.  Bibliography or job prep.  Pet grooming or herbal tinctures.  Non-gluten grains or enviro-friendly cleansers.  Earthy Ms. Efficiency can’t help but restore order and dispense advice, according to Mother Nature’s rules.  A daily schedule grounds her:  morning mint tea and organic blueberry granola yogurt, 9-to-5 Holistic Health Co-op Administrator, noontime Pilates routine and evening dog walking twice round the park.

She worries about deadly viruses and killer bees and climate change.  The rich, yet subtle autumn hues she favors complement her lovely bone structure and glowing complexion.  Donning orthotic Uggs, reliable hemp jacket and plaid felt scarf for walking Ginger, Virgo reviews her self-improvement goals.  That Virgin thing?  Her mental Mr. Right checklist crumbles to dust as her heart skips a beat.  Medium, Auburn & Healthy, her version of Tall-Dark-&-Handsome, is about to rearrange her tidy Universe.

LIBRA
“WE ARE”  September 23 – October 22
 
Lovely Libra, Ms. Congeniality of her graduating class, critiques her comportment in the mirror as she passes.  A throwback to finishing schools and society debs, she brushes her luscious locks 100 strokes a night as per Miss Manners.  Effortlessly chatting up the Beautiful People, she’s irresistible in a chic Audrey Hepburn ensemble, accessorized with tasteful clutch, sweet 16th birthday pearls and Italian heels.  After all, ‘ensemble’ means together, her favourite state, in French AND fashion.

She’ll guide you through a flattering makeover or romantic glitch, attuned to relationship complexities.  Beneath that breathtaking sugar ‘n spice exterior beats a kind heart, a superior brain – and a fragile backbone.  Lady Liberty doesn’t often do mad, until higher principles tip the scales, overruling pretty and popular.  Like a fragrant rose, she’s happier attracting bees to nectar, dance card full until her Prince Rainier whisks her away.  To the fairy tale wedding she’s been planning since 8th grade.

SCORPIO
“I DESIRE”  October 23 – November 22
 
Seductive Scorpio isn’t color blind.  Just, for greatest impact, what tops all black sexy thigh highs, pleather silver studded mini jacket, lacy satin bustier and reflective Ray Bans?  Cool Johnny Cash walked the black line.  Catwoman was intense in onyx.  Badass Matrix heroine Carrie-Anne Moss made midnight the new orange.  Your secretive femme fatale is thrillingly dangerous and tantalizingly alluring.  If you dare to tango, she’s simply unforgettable, like her wicked Scorpion stinger.
 
Her Super Powers include X-Ray vision, infallible lie detection and the ability to vanish at will.  She must test her edges - sex, drugs & rock n’ roll - and yours, before you win her respect.  The Scorpion’s ultimate turn-ons are Power and Control, wherever they lead:  corporate takeovers, high finance, shamanic journeys, human psychology, crime investigation or bedroom intimacies.  No Fifty Shades of Grey in her psyche.  She sees the world in black - and white - her other fashion accessory.

SAGITTARIUS
“I SEEK”  November 23 – December 22
 
Sunny Sagittarius has a Masters in Globe Trotting from the University of International Exploration.  If thesis research involves exotic locales under tropical blue skies, in colorful batik sarongs, who is she to argue?  She aced Ancient Forests Wilderness Camping 101 and National Parks Horseback Riding 306A & B.  Her sporty nomadic lifestyle needs forgiving gear, like faded denims, Gore-Tex windbreakers, down vests, hiking boots, funky ethnic shawls, ripped team jerseys and sloppy Alma Mater Ts.
 
Deeply curious Centaur ponders the Meaning of Life, expanding her philosophies in classrooms and watering holes.  “So,” she challenges, after her hilarious safari snafu saga, complete with accents, “you think there really is a heaven?”  And it begins:  your infatuation with her deep insight, optimistic outlook and free-wheeling nature, equal parts tomboy, sage, gypsy and temptress.  Hello, highway to adventure.  Best keep your wits sharp and your passport current.  Good-bye, secure pension plan. 

 
CAPRICORN
“I BUILD”  December 23 – January 20
 
Ambitious Capricorn knew she was destined for the corner office suite since grade 7 Career Day.  Envisioning those power lunches and expense accounts only sweetened the deal.  She has the impressive credentials and political savvy to shatter the glass ceiling, and the corporate wardrobe to match.  Ms. MBA rounds out those streamlined pinstripe suits and crisp white blouses with status Hermes scarves, Tiffany earrings and classic pumps, dressing to enhance that all important reputation.

The Goat’s knack for successfully negotiating tricky mountain ledges is well-earned.  Her goal is the authority to make, not follow, protocol.  Her suffragette sisters’ fortitude blazed the trail for today’s Cabinet Ministers and CEOs.   Bring success and polish along with those long stemmed roses to soften her guarded heart.  The terms to a Capricorn romantic merger:  a nanny for those frequent business trips, respect for her accomplishments and professional equality.  Why?  Because it’s 2016!
 
AQUARIUS
“I ENVISION”  January 21 – February 19
 
Tentative Aquarius is old school, meekly following the crowd.  Wait, what!?!  Reset!  Meet the zany unpredictable sound vibration called Water Bearer.  That’s right.  Air, not water, defying typecasting.  From New Agers to teenagers, quantum science to space exploration, think tanks to techno-geeks, Aquarius is cutting edge.  You can’t help but ‘like’ her, online and in person.  She’s grassroots, a volunteer and activist, petitioning for change.  Her endangered species link just went viral. 

You think her preschool neighbour dresses her and suddenly her wannabe fashion clones are everywhere.  Nose piercings.  Clashing patterns.  Mismatched socks.  Purple neon leggings with high tops.  Zig zag hair dyes.  Ankle tats.  Retro with avant-garde.  Roller skates and sequined tutu.  (Okay, that was her flash mob outfit.)  She gets different.  To get her, think risk-taking, unusual hobbies, quirky friends, plus lots of breathing room.  Text ‘I dare ya!’ to her dating profile and never be bored again!

PISCES
“I BELIEVE”  February 19 – March 20
 
Sensitive Pisces is a sponge, easily absorbing others’ vibes.  Ms. oh-so-intuitive Neptune exudes Old Hollywood glamour, fluidly changing into, well, whoever you like.  Her medium is fantasy, whether film, photography, dance, music or art.  Caregiver or nurse Fishes rejuvenate at their private imaginary spa, a wondrous undersea queendom.  Pisces speaks volumes with just her eyes, sometimes through rose colored glasses, born for romance most only dream about.  Who needs words with that extra 6th sense?

Don’t expect to see her in combat boots anytime soon.  She flows in diaphanous aquamarine dresses and shimmering crystal slippers.  Or gauzy pastel tulle and satin ballet shoes.  Sometimes her thin skin needs escape from life’s trials.  Sultry Pisces actress Elizabeth Taylor’s advice:  “Pour yourself a drink, put on some lipstick and pull yourself together.”  Her newest smitten admirer is arriving at 7 and she has to set the stage – cocktail dress, dreamy music, candlelight, chilled Chablis – as only a true chameleon can.
​

For the first time in history on July 14, 2015, NASA's New Horizon spacecraft flew within 7,800 miles of Pluto's surface.  Icy Pluto is very small and very distant.  So small, it was demoted to a Dwarf Planet in 2006.  So distant, its farthest point from Earth is 4.67 billion miles and its nearest 2.66 billion miles.  So small, Earth's Moon is 5 times its mass.  So distant, it took New Horizon 9 years, 5 months and 25 days to get there.

This dwarf has a big heart - literally. New Horizon's probe recently captured a lovely heart shape over 1000 miles wide on its surface, the distance from Denver to Chicago.  The black shadow below and to the left of the white heart has been dubbed 'The Whale'.  These two shapes seem to illustrate Pluto's essence, the struggle to integrate dark and light in our psyches.  Discovered in 1930, Pluto rules the sign of Scorpio and the death, transformation and rebirth cycle recognized in all cultures.

When we take our first breaths, the electromagnetic frequencies of entities like Pluto are said to be encoded in our newborn bodies.  If, for example, years later, orbiting Saturn crosses the place where Venus was at our birth, our lives on Earth reflect that.  Imagine:  a planet travels over a point where another was 38 years ago and it somehow affects us today.   The further away the planet, the longer we feel its effects.  Slow moving Pluto takes 248 years to complete its orbit.

Perhaps this gigantic heart on Pluto's surface is a clue, because nothing in space seems to have more impact on our lives than the Dwarf Planet.  When Pluto affects a natal planet, the area that planet represents undergoes major renovation.  If Mars, the lessons might include: tempering our ego; releasing repressed anger; treating our bodies better;  being less selfish;  rejuvenating our sex lives;  facing our deepest fears;  learning to be alone;  starting scary new ventures.  Getting real about what we truly want.  It's a lot to ask!  When the dust settles a year later, we have vanquished those dark shadows.  We are stronger, more direct and more focused. The price Pluto extracts is having to let go. 

With the precision of a surgeon's knife, Pluto cuts away what has atrophied in our lives.  People.  Beliefs.  Jobs.  Fears.  Possessions.  Habits.  It's time to grow as the snake does by shedding its skin.  If we resist, endings happen anyway:  our businesses go under, our loves leave us, our bodies break down, our cherished elders inevitably pass on.  Such painful passages awaken our greatest fears so they can finally be defeated.  

Is the Distant Dwarf signalling its true intent by revealing an unmistakable planet-sized Valentine?  Scientists estimate part of the heart's age at a very young 100 million years since its left side has few craters.  The right side terrain is less distinct, probably older, with more fractures from colliding meteors.  Pluto, now in Capricorn, sign of geography and career, is transforming our lives in remarkable ways.

How would life be if we treated Earth with the respect it richly deserves?   If we chose careers we were passionate about?  If we loved with open hearts?  I imagine Pluto's message to us floundering Earthlings:  Love more.  Control less.  

The crises we inevitably attract are so much more manageable when we dare to wear our hearts on our sleeves.   When we refuse to close those hearts, especially while saving the whales.

To explore this powerful Dwarf Planet's transformation in your life, contact Kathryn, Pluto Specialist and Astro-Counselor since 1991.




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The possibilities:

* Better health, diet and exercise routines and habits
* Decluttering and reorganizing for a healthier life/work balance
* Brushing up on employable skills and updating your resume
* A new job, teaching others at work or job advancement
* Receiving on-the-job training and possible travel through work
* Taking classes in holistic pursuits like herbology, preserves and bread-making
* Getting a new pet or learning to ride a horse
* Connecting with Nature, animals and crafts like knitting and needle point
* Possible travel to care for a convalescent
* Emphasizing Local, Green, GMO- and Pesticide-free food
* Developing your Inner Healer and teaching what you know
* Serving to help clean up and protect our environment

Expansive, spontaneous Jupiter meets nit-picky, perfectionistic Virgo.  The Virgin stands for purity and wholesome living, while The Centaur leans toward overindulgence and a devil-may-care attitude!  Ms. Neat & Tidy meets Mr. Leave a Trail of Crumbs, the original Oscar and Felix duo.  Best-case scenario?  A more disciplined approached to daily living with room for delicious guilt-free treats. 

Better know your facts and figures now to win debates and sway people even if you ARE right!  Both Jupiter and Virgo adore animals, reveling in the great outdoors, though task-oriented Virgo prefers to stick closer to home than free-wheeling Jupiter.  Work you do now will pay off later.  Teaching - by example - not preaching. Honing your expertise AND keeping your sense of humor, an unbeatable combo! Opportunities WILL come knocking - plus, your abs will look great!

SPECIAL NOTE:  Healers and environmentalists, this is your year to strut your stuff. Your talents are greatly needed to help us realign our lives and planet as Nature intended.  Let's not wait until 2027 until Jupiter travels this way again.


IN VICTORIA until November 30.  Need an Astro-Consult or Holistic Nutrition Session?  Private and group classes starting mid-Jan 2016.   604-240-8544.

Part I - The Adventure Begins

My longtime college friend and I traveled across America the first week of December, 2013, she driving from Montreal, Quebec, me on Amtrak from Brooklyn, New York, meeting up in Albany, NY.   She was making a fresh start after working abroad and I was returning home after visiting family on the Canadian East Coast.  Friends and relatives were dubious about the wisdom of this roadtrip in waning autumn.  In hindsight, they had a point, but off we went, armed with optimism, Thanksgiving turkey sandwiches  and state maps.  We jotted hasty notes en route, tracing a jagged green line  of our daily progress across middle America on our increasingly ragged map.  Our adventures are cobbled together from our travelogue diary.

Gas is so cheap in my friend's little car - a fill up for about $30.00.  We figure between hotels, food and gas, we're averaging about $75 a day each.  We get up at 6:30 a.m. and hit the road by 8 at the latest to take advantage of the light, going about 500 miles a day, extra on the days we gain an hour when crossing a time zone.  We were able to use some of those coupon books and CAA to get off-season hotel discounts.

Yesterday - major fog and very low ceiling of cloud, but clear roads all the way and today very hairy - some snow and whiteout conditions due to high winds and icy driving conditions.  Numerous tumbleweeds blow over the highway, most trapped by barbed-wire fences, but some still get caught on front car grilles, reminding us of Star Trek tribbles.  We went into a skid coming out of a snowed-in rest stop today at the highest point on HWY 80 at 8640 feet.  I pushed the front end of the car from the ditch to get us back on track again.  My friend was awesome - didn't panic and steered in the direction of the skid without hitting the brakes.

Hundreds of transport trucks on the roads continuously pass each other, dwarfing our little blue Hyundai and creating snowy backlash.  Today we saw accidents and were very happy to stop for the night.  We have seen little wildlife, a big herd of antelopes today and many beautiful hawks on the prairies watching for rodents made visible from the newly harvested winter wheat or sheared corn fields.  Many black cows grazed those same fields, acre upon acre of cut stalks.  Today the scenery was more interesting, great vistas stretching ahead for miles, unusual rock formations and even some forests. 

Lots of very flat greige  (combo of beige and grey, coined by a friend) scenery crossing the mid-west, much bigger prairie land in area than Canada.  Almost 3 days of driving a straight ribbon of highway with sky everywhere as far as the eye can see.  So far we have been in New York, then Pennsylvania, West Virginia, briefly, next Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa - the 3 I's - very confusing to keep straight, Nebraska and lastly Wyoming.  My friend was remembering a brief chapter in bygone days living in Wyoming.  We hope to reach Boise, Idaho, tomorrow, then Portland, Oregon, Friday, and, finally, catch the 2 p.m. ferry on Saturday from Port Angeles, Washington to Victoria. 

I've been quite congested - a nasty, inconveniently timed flu virus - and bought some medicine today, looking forward to a long hot bath and sleep in Victoria Sunday.   When we stop for gas or breaks, we are reminded by decorations and piped-in carols that the Christmas season is in full swing.  In our vehicle, we are oddly insulated from all the merriment.  We will be happy to arrive safely.  Would we do it again in winter?  Probably not - a bit of a marathon - and the mountains still lie ahead.

Part II - The Incredible Journey

By the time we hit Boise, Idaho, we had had enough of travel center restaurant meals.  Thanks to our Google printout, we found the stately capital building, graced with the fullest branches and most lights I've ever seen on a Christmas tree!  We ate at an amazing Mediterranean restaurant, our best meals of the trip.  We had become more savvy at negotiating hotel discounts, so the rooms and included breakfasts only got better. At Tumwater, Washington, we had a lovely room and full hot breakfast, even fresh baked cookies as an evening snack.  It's a reality check to have to shell out Canadian prices now, especially gas and alcohol.  

Up through Idaho to Oregon the high desert landscape changed to expansive mountainous areas, back to mile after mile of scrub brush and sage, through hilly evergreen forests, then icy, high altitude driving.  We followed the mighty Columbia River for miles, its banks bordering Washington and Oregon, eventually draining into the Pacific.  A huge transport truck had toppled on its side, resembling a twisted caterpillar.  Pretty tense driving at 30 - 40 mph in blowing snow, especially witnessing several fender benders and dented guard rails, emergency vehicle lights flashing and highway flares marking new routes.  We were very happy when sand trucks had gone before us.

Driving up the Olympic Peninsula under a deep blue sky Saturday, we passed mashes filled with birds, then oyster farms, cattle ranches, native art galleries and casinos, wilderness recreation spots and some flourishing towns.  Eagles circled over towering Douglas firs as we averaged 45 mph along winding coastal roads with few passing lanes.  We had lunch with my girlfriend, a Tour Director like myself, in Port Angeles, swapping stories of crazy situations on the road last summer.   

We got a breathtaking view of Mount Baker during the 1.5 hour Coho ferry crossing, taking advantage of the duty-free.  We arrived in Victoria after 8 days on the road with some wear and tear - my suitcase zipper bit the dust - happy to land after 3622 miles across the US.  Thankfully, the drive-thru Customs was very lax.  Try explaining two Canadians with California plates in a car filled to the gills, one coming from Montreal, another from New York city, meeting in Albany to drive across the country, spending Christmas in Victoria, BC.   Did we have anything to declare?  Happy to be home, even if it is freezing!!!

Happy Holidays, Everyone!  My 2014 Resolution:  more fun, dancing, travel, adventure and bubbly, when the occasion warrants.  This resolution is one I'll have no trouble keeping.  See you on the dance floor!

Kathryn and Friend

Hola from La Penita, an hour from Puerto Vallarta, close to Guayabitos, where most of my friends are staying. The weather has been 87-92, cloudless skies and not humid since I got here last Saturday March 10. Victoria, BC, weather has been absolutely horrid so I marvel at this string of hot, golden days. I am taking sun exposure slowly and picking up a little Spanish, or remembering bits and pieces from my Spanish 100 class.

My main reason for coming here is for some much needed restorative dentistry. My Canadian dentist quoted $40-50,000 to do bridges, etc., or as he first put it, the price of a new Buick.
He wanted to remove all my bottom teeth except the back 2 molars and put in implants. Here the dentist can do it in 3 appointments - 4 bridges for $30,000 pesos, less than $3000. (Final price was $3,000 pesos LESS than the estimate!) Down here, I saw land selling at $39,000 pesos, so by Mexican standards, it's a lot of money. Many of my friends have had work done successfully from Dr. Abraham, who has a thriving practice with many Norte Americano patients. My last appointment is March 29, and I will be back in Canada April 4.

This part of the country is beautiful with everything existing side by side - all-inclusives next to decayed, crumbling buildings. The horrid roads are very hard on cars, basically uneven widely
spaced stones of different heights and sizes in dusty dirt roads, but better in more affluent areas and on highways. You see garbage, wandering dogs, people cooking on every street
corner, gringos filling restaurants on the most beautiful beaches for beer at max $1.50 and full meals at about $6.00.   

Mexico is a noisy, boisterous, colorful country with lots of poverty and everyone hustling for a buck. You can sit right on the beach with your toes in the sand sipping a Margarita or a cerveza, watching vendors hawk everything from food, beach toys, jewelry, blankets, dolls, masks, purses, sun glasses, etc. It's quite amazing - larger than life and very safe, really, though you MUST constantly watch where you walk. The locals greet you with 'hola' and a smile as you walk by, very respectful of tourists. 

Yesterday, we were having breakfast at the beach and everyone ordered fresh orange juice. The staff went to a store for more oranges since they had run out. If we want it, they try to
supply it since we support the economy during the short tourist season. Most places speak English and have English menus.  Breakfast is $3-4.00.

The gringos have built a wooden swaying bridge called the bridge of life, la puenta de vida, over a muddy river separating La Penita and Guayabitos. So many people were getting killed
on the highways that the bridge was necessary. The area now boasts a recycling program for plastic bottles, bags and packaging, carelessly tossed away before, which has much improved the litter problem. Gringos living here part time have created their own theatre group and musical bands with quite a following. Many retired people spend winters here and it's very easy to meet people. 

Yesterday, I saw a small crocodile or alligator, can't tell the difference, sunning on the sandy river bank. There are huge pelicans on the beaches and lovely white egrets with bright yellow feet fishing in the rivers. Tiny geckos appear in the evenings and huge iguanas closely guard their territories, one moment motionless on a garden ledge, the next a racing blur, even mastering tall palm trees. A friend got bit in the ocean by an eel-like fish with double rows of sharp teeth - very painful - and many tourists never go swimming, just walk the long lovely
beaches. The food is wonderful, very fresh, and the drinks are amazing. We ate fresh coconut shrimp last night straight from the Thursday market. I bought some shorts there, aided by 3
Mexican ladies holding up sheets in the stall since there were no change rooms.

I now have my 2 upper bridges completed, which look natural and beautiful. Feels weird to have those 2 gaps in my mouth since my teens now filled. This dentist, with a basic vocab of
open, close, bite, rinse and relax (not that that last advice ever worked for me in a dental chair with a drill in my mouth!) inspires complete trust, is very fast and very good. All the drilling is over
and the bottom bridges will be in place the 29th. Meanwhile, eating is awkward but it won't be long now.

I am getting into the rhythm of Mexico. Every day I pack the essentials - glasses, sunglasses, hat, sun screen, bathing suit, a change of clothes, money and I'm off - usually returning to the hotel late evening. Last week we visited a local Catholic shrine, climbing high atop a hill for a fabulous view of Guayabitos beach. Instead of the usual 12 stations of the cross, there are 14. Typically Mexican to elaborate on a theme. Everything is being readied for Santa Semana, the major Easter fest where every spare closet and inch of sand is claimed. Apparently, it's a nonstop 2 week celebration; the first week the hill people come to the coast, the next the city dwellers.

Saturday, my friend Linda and I went to Lo de Marco to visit her friends. The touristas take taxis everywhere at a cost of 30-40 pesos, average 3 dollars with tip. The collectivo van making the
circuit the locals use costs 7 pesos. There don't seem to be set stops; you just wait by the road and flag them down. When we caught one the other day, a man and his son got in, carrying a
watermelon and large, heavy trays of pastries. They sell them on the beaches and keep traveling until they are all gone. Linda turned me on to Micheladas: beer, clamato juice, lime, spices and ice in salted fish bowl glasses. Delicious! And who knew real tequila only came from the blue agave plant?

Lo de Marcos, just 20 minutes away from bustling, touristy Guayabitos, has the authentic feel of a local Mexican town. We spent an amazing afternoon at a lovely coved beach, very clean and uncrowded under a sunny blue sky. A fun couple from Colorado took us there in their red pop-up VW van with HIPPY plates, bright flower-power decals everywhere and mattresses in back for their 2 dogs. When I answered yes to whether I was still working, the man, in classic tie-dye shirt replied, "You gotta get over that!" I could hear a Joplin-Hendrix soundtrack in my head. I tried paddle boarding, harder than it looks, but the trick is to go out past the waves where it's easier to balance standing up. (Despite his advice, I have begun seeing some astrology clients here.)

We spent Sunday at Chacala, 'where the shrimp are', compliments of new friends, Roe and Bill, boogie boarding some pretty big waves. Timed just right, you can ride a breaker right into shore at a good clip, sand plastered to every crevice. Two piece bathing suits not recommended. There's an upscale spa retreat, Mar de Jade, near patches of porous black
volcanic rock at one end of the beach, and a marina with a sheltered little cove at the other, palm trees and small mountains providing scenic backdrop. I had to keep pinching
myself... We sat at Chico's beachfront bar where, like elsewhere, anything and everything goes. Two Mariachi bands were competing, (20 pesos a song; yes, they do requests) --- loudly --- at adjoining tables, a young girl was being tattooed on her lower back at another, chihuahuas ran around, kids wandered happily, people played cards, beach vendors sold food inside
the restaurant and a bottle of tequila appeared on another table, without complaint from owners, busily preparing seafood on outdoor grills. Then there's the beach scene - music and
dancing, barbecues, boats, swimming, food, noise, fun, blowup toys, more dogs, tents, palapas, (makeshift shelters), an impromptu bongo drumming concert - everyone happily
coexisting amid noise, surf and sun. I want some Latina blood next time round!

Mexicans seem to travel in large multi-generational groups, often in back of crowded pick-ups, and really know how to have a good time. Family is very important, central to the culture, which is much less regimented than rule-bound Canada. Drinking and driving is LEGAL! A family of 4 (parents, baby and toddler) rode by on a motorbike, no helmets, and a mom drove a truck with baby on her lap, no seat belt.  Some manholes are uncovered, electric wiring lies visible and rebar juts from half-finished buildings. (I later discovered that incomplete construction means no taxes, so buildings are constantly being renovated or left unfinished.) Double no passing lines on narrow roads with no shoulders mean nothing.

The other night a beautiful young Mexicana, talking nonchalantly on her cell, was proudly displayed on the hood of a white car progressing down Avenido Centro in La Penita, two young men inside. Heavy disco throbbed from a huge souped up sound system gaping from the open trunk. Even the blase locals shook their heads on that one.

Every year to celebrate the first day of spring, preschoolers have a parade. That whole day, papier mache hummingbirds, half-decorated floats, uniformed band members, fairies, little
lions, bees, butterflies and Disney characters buzz around the town as excitement mounts. Top fundraisers for schools and daycares are crowned kings and queens for a day. Miniature
princesses in ball gowns and updos, very serious on their flowery thrones, throw candies and pencils scooped up by the crowd. Adorable!

Last night, I realized I really wasn't in Kansas anymore. At home, the new moon appears as a crescent to the left, but here it's a smile at the bottom of the circle. No man in the moon either, but a rabbit with perky ears. A totally new angle. Like coming to Mexico for the first time.

I plug my laptop into a ceiling outlet on the Victoria Clipper for the final leg home April 4. My flaking tan and new porcelain teeth console me under a brooding Pacific Northwest sky,
raindrops obscuring starboard windows. My Mexican bee pollen, purchased from an older street vendor, doesn't make the cut at Canadian Customs.

My cellphone doesn’t allow access to messages here in Mexico, so I finally shut it off. For the first while, it feels strange not checking my in-box several times a day, then my psyche seems
to unplug as well. I really begin to live in the moment. Time feels different, bending and stretching, slowing down in the hot sun and speeding up when swapping experiences with others in pools or cafes.

I spend a solitary afternoon on the beach, surrounded by boisterous Mexican families living under colorful tarps during Holy Week festivities. I break in my new 2 piece, exposing my
pale northern midriff to public view for the first time in many seasons. Mexican women don’t seem to obsess about their shape as we do, proudly displaying ample curves and bulges in
too tight garments. Pelicans bob with the rolling surf, unconcerned with frolicking surfboarders and bathers nearby. Pairs of fisherman tend nets anchored by nylon twine from shore, but the fish are unresponsive today. I am anxious about leaving my things on the beach, but nothing is disturbed.

Another day, I hop a boat tour on the fly, wading into the surf as helping hands haul me aboard. Cash accepted; life jackets optional. I meet a professional photographer and younger cousin from California, visiting her mother living nearby. She has never seen Canadian money before, comparing it to colorful peso notes. I feel very worldly carrying 3 different currencies. My salmon $50 bill doesn’t impress our young cocaptains, since 50 Mexican pesos are worth less than $5, the price of my Mexican haircut.

They take us to tiny Crab Island, little more than a rocky sea outcropping, literally crawling with crabs of every size and color. Nearby is uninhabited Coral Island, the treed mounded landmark covered with guano, its sheltered sandy beach providing excellent swimming. We see dark coral formations through a glass bottom, our hosts smiling at our delight. Birds rule here, overseeing a family of goats climbing the rocky face. Majestic frigates, wings so wide they cannot take off from land, perch by the hundreds in treetops shared by pelicans, buzzards, seagulls and more. The grey whales are most prevalent into early March, though friends still report morning sightings from the beach.

My friends Don and Linda, veteran winter residents, meet me at Vista Guayabitos, the lovely open air restaurant atop a hill, for a sunset mango Margarita. I am awestruck at the sweeping
panorama before me. The gently curving bay ringed by mountains and palm trees, Coral Island subdued under a cloudy sky, hums with activity far below: tour boats, swimmers, strollers and diners amid the beach palapas, bungalows and all-inclusives. Later we enjoy a twilight seafood dinner at Juan’s as lights appear around the bay. The caged squawking parrots do nothing to deter the relentlessly biting no-see-ems, so in desperation I slather fresh lime over exposed skin for instant relief.

Sunday morning, I awake to drumming music as a procession of waving green fronds, just visible from my third floor balcony, progresses down the Avenida. Palm Sunday, I realize, later
charmed by the elaborate threaded palms in church pews, enormous slender specimens framing the arched entranceway and altars. (Next year on Ash Wednesday, these palms will be burned to mark the foreheads of devout Catholics, beginning the 40 day Lenten fast until Easter Sunday celebrations.) A market featuring religious artifacts, food and flowers, along with more usual fare, seems to appear from thin air in the square. After breakfast, a donkey carrying an elderly Mexicano passes us by, their part of the festivities complete.

My ears have trouble adjusting to the deafening decibels in La Penita streets. Loudspeakers in circulating trucks advertise anything from turnips to gas, furniture and local happenings with great gusto. Mexico being a show-and-tell society, two caged monkeys with vivid red bottoms accompany the circus come-to-town pitch. Our waiter is unimpressed, joking that the promised jungle animals consist of the monkeys, a horse and donkey. He relents when a bored Bengal tiger sails by.

A local cautions against buying silver jewelry at the Thursday tianguis or open air market, since he has appraised fake pieces that vendors later swear weren’t sold by them. My friend Bob
jokes about haggling over a colorful Mexican tablecloth for 2 days, later displayed at a dollar cheaper on Wal-Mart shelves back home.

Topping the local tourist hierarchy are those who’ve pulled up stakes and live here year round, then the 3-6 month snowbirds, followed by newbies and 2 week vacationers on the bottom
rung. The annual March 31 block party heralds the unofficial end of the Season, after which the tanned gringo population rapidly dwindles. This, of course, means an all-day beach bash: tubs of ice cold beer, potluck offerings and a bluesy quartet that really gets the blood moving on the sandy dance floor. The big surprise is beautiful fireworks exploding high in the dark sky, glowing sparks descending around us. The wise take refuge under beach umbrellas. Stories of singed clothes and skin burns surface the following day. We marvel at the Mexican devil-may-care attitude during this, the dry, dusty season.

As my visit draws to a reluctant close, people confidently ask me, “So you’re coming back, right? Longer next time?”

How do those planets moving around the heavens at different speeds and distances affect us here on Earth? As of May 7,2011, Uranus, Venus, Mercury, Jupiter and Mars are clustered together in Aries. Uranus, the slowest moving of the 5 planets, in Aries until March 7, 2019, takes 84 years, about 7 years per sign, to circle the Zodiac. Jupiter, in Aries last summer, returned to Pisces September 10 - January 23, 2011. It is now racing through Aries until June 4, 2011, not returning there again until May 2022, spending about a year traveling through each sign. The 3 other speedier, closer to Earth planets will soon move into Taurus, Mars by May 12, Venus and Mercury by May 16. 

The longer a slower moving planet like unpredictable Uranus remains in a certain sector of the sky, the more we feel it on Earth. With brainy Mercury, lovely Venus, assertive Mars and
expansive Jupiter joining the Aries party, we experience Uranus’ pull more strongly. We may summon the confidence to finally finish that degree or ask that delectable person out. For
example, Cancers born June 24-25, Librans born September 26-27 and Capricorns born December 25-26 will feel pressure to act decisively. Aries may be getting more physically fit,
Cancers delegating more at home, Librans uncharacteristically fulfilling desires first and Capricorns competing for career advancement.

All Aries, especially those born March 23-24, Leos born July 26- 27 and Sagittarians born November 25-26 welcome Jupiter/Uranus influences, eagerly initiating new projects, romances, courses, travels or moves. Uranus ruled Aquarians will be riding the energy wave, connecting to friends and expanding their network. Electronics may be wonky, faster upgrades flying off store shelves. People with natal planets at 3 degrees Aries, Cancer, Libra or Capricorn will also feel catalytic events compelling them forward. Those feeling alone will risk reaching out to others, investigating online dating or joining sports groups.

Irrepressible Aries slogans like: Go for it! Just do it! Now or Never! Bring it on! Yes, We Can! coupled with ‘Lady Luck’ Jupiter and ‘Roll-the-Dice’ Uranus impatiently demand getting
the lead out. That ‘someday’ Bucket List on the back burner awaits something - 5 planets in fiery Aries, perhaps? - before finally boiling over. Maybe a jealous blow-up tips the scales
toward greener relationship pastures. Perhaps bulging waistlines force couch potatoes to get moving while sprained ankles relegate impatient Type As to the sidelines. Or escalating headaches make others admit how peeved at abusive bosses they are. Perhaps that dream, percolating at a pay-the-bills job compels budding entrepreneurs to brave the Dragon’s Den.

Will we get burned? Slightly singed, perhaps, but happy playing the lead role in our own dramas. Inattentive (Uranus) over-thetop (Jupiter) types among us – speedy, combustible, wired - invite fender benders, unnecessary arguments or temporary burnouts. Check those frayed electrical cords and baser impulses, keeping hair-of-the-dog remedies and fire
extinguishers close by.

During Aries' reign, loyal NHL fans lustily cheered sports heroes onward. Excitement abounded, uniting communities as the Royals said, “I do!” Decisive Canadian election results, shocking shake-ups in Japan and Osama bin Laden’s death amid retaliation threats rocked our world. We’ve all been touchier lately, wanting to strut our stuff. “You talkin’ to me? You talkin’ to ME???” Yes, Uranus, Jupiter, Venus, Mars and Mercury in Aries definitely are. Maybe it’s finally time to gather that earthquake preparedness kit or sign that petition for affordable education.  Time to take the big leap or that shaky first step toward a brighter future. Whatever your desire, get on with it, already! Mars or Bust!

Kathryn, Intuitive Astrological Counselor

by Patrick Bazinet, The Wolfville, NS Grapevine, January, 2009
Kathryn Connolly says she speaks three languages: English, French and Astrology. Since ancient times, people have followed the maxim “as above, so below” and looked to the sky
to find meaning and patterns in their lives. Kathryn describes Astrology in terms of deciphering a symbolic language. “There’s something about symbols,” she says, “because there’s no right
or wrong about it, that helps you to bypass the mind and get to a deeper place.” She has studied the subject for thirty years and has been a practicing Astrologer for over fifteen. While
people may have pre-conceived notions about the practice as a form of occult fortune-telling, she explains that her approach is much more subtle and intuitive: “I think it’s important to take
time out and actually focus on how you’re doing in life. What is working for you? Where are you tied up in knots and where are you living to your full potential? The chart is a map or a guide
that can help you navigate through some of the rough spots or take charge when you really need to go ahead. Most of us know who we really are but due to conditioning or external events we don’t go in the direction we should.”

Kathryn’s “Life Check-In Sessions” take the Astrological birth chart as a starting point for a cooperative exploration of the subtle energy that may be affecting a person’s life. “The chart
will guide me,” she says of the process. “There are always hotspots in the chart and areas that are harmonious. I can see that without the person being there but there’s a synergy that happens when you sit down and talk to people.” In addition to her experience as an Astrologer, she has also pursued intensive training as a counselor at the University of Victoria and has a B.A. in Communications from Concordia University in Montreal. Her interest in human dynamics and relationship is apparent when she talks about what she does: “So what if I can predict that you will meet someone in the next six months if the last three relationships have crashed and burned? I’m more interested in helping you understand what you can do when you meet somebody so that it doesn’t crash and burn.”

Kathryn has been visiting the Wolfville area for a long time. She has already experienced a lot of what the town has to offer including lectures at Acadia, the Vegetarian Lunchbox, the Acadia Cinema, Jack’s Gallery, and the Farmer’s Market. She likes the “local, organic community” and the fact that gatherings tend to have people from all ages and walks of life. In
her spare time, she enjoys “copious amounts of reading” and is currently studying Holistic Nutrition with the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition. She is also an elite Scrabble player, a game she started playing seriously while she was a student at UVIC.

Kathryn is available for Astrological sessions  and can be contacted at
kathrynmconnolly17@gmail.com or www.simplyastrology.ca

My goal in writing this book is to simplify astrology for people – low jargon,
information at a glance, basic concepts – but with enough content for the
seeker of knowledge.

The First Section contains descriptions of the twelve signs, followed by onepage
summaries of potential fears, behaviors and illnesses pertaining to each
sign in Section Two.

Most of the material in the Third Section was written intermittently over the past
year and contains both frivolous and thought-provoking concepts.
Section Four contains articles and a sampling of themes for both novices and
the more advanced.