Just Call Me Angel In The Morning, Baby

ONE GREAT THING – A GayGuideGiftGuide: For all astrology enthusiasts – or those who want to give a friend or family member a spiritually inspired gift – my recommendation is a pack of oracle cards.

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I think Astrology is cool. There, I said it. And I believe myself to be a stable, down-to-earth person who isn’t outlandish and has great judgment (or so I hope… buuut I’m pretty confident). A few years ago, I got hooked on Astrology – mostly because of its uncanny accuracy. It started when I was doing my own chart, followed by the chart of family and friends around me, and was surprised to find how accurately their personality matched their signs. Signs, I say. You may think I am strange but it is true that we have more than one sign – we have many.

Here is a challenge for anyone who thinks Astrology is bogus. Maybe you don’t feel very connected to your Sun Sign. The fact is that your astrological profile includes more than just the sign under your birth date. The Sun Sign is just the tip of the iceberg. Your Sun Sign has become most common in mainstream media because it’s easy to figure out. It describes your basic nature and personality traits that remain constant throughout your life. In other words, it is the image or light you shine out into the world and comes from that innermost, truest part of you.

However, you also have a Moon Sign. This is the inner you that only close companions get to experience. Maybe it’s the private you that reveals itself behind closed doors, after you have put on something a bit more comfortable (let’s say jogging pants and your baggiest sweatshirt. Not very chic, but whatever). In addition, your Moon Sign is the part of you that acts on instinct, is unguarded, and comes out in a crisis. In everyday life, the Moon sign is what you fall back on to restore your sense of emotional security. The Moon Sign is calculated a bit differently: it depends on the date and time of your birth. For people who say that Astrology is dumb because a person born the same day can have the same Astrology profile, you’re wrong. The Moon sign can change and be under two difference signs in the same day. To check out your Moon sign, click here: http://www.lunarium.co.uk/moonsign/calculator.jsp

If that wasn’t complicated enough, you can find out your sign in Mercury (how do you communicate?), Venus (how you deal with love and romance?) as well as Mars (what makes us tick, fired up or angry?) For example, I am a Virgo but I have a Moon Sign in Scorpio. So whereas I am slightly a mixture of those two signs, in a way, the way I communicate and love can be influenced by other signs as well. Combined, this makes your astrological profile and it is more personal – and detailed – than some might think.

Try it on yourself and your friends. You might be surprised. And if you are a non-believer, when you check out your horoscope the next time, try to pay attention to both your Moon and Sun sign readings. Incorporate them together and see if you can find a deeper meaning.

The Summer Solstice has approached. The days are getting longer and hotter. Are you starting to feel the heat? Maybe after a long week at the office you can’t wait to unwind at home and engage in some of your favourite summer activities. Or perhaps after a day at the beach you are craving your favourite spot on the couch with your remote control or favourite book. Whatever the case may be, Cancer has entered the scene (June 21 – July 22) and the crab rules the Fouth House of the Zodiac, also known as the ‘House of Family and Home’. This house represents the effects of our earliest experiences and of the nurturing that we receive as children, in addition to the way that this anchors and guides the rest of our lives.

Cancerians harbor a strong sense of family and longing for community: you empathize, you offer understanding. As fiercely protective individuals, anyone lucky enough to be within a Cancerian’s inner circle enjoys a secure sense of comfort and belonging. Cancer’s stereotype is that they are often moody. Perhaps this is because they are a water sign associated with the moon, a combination that leads to shifting moods and deeply felt emotions. I read a quote Cancer which made me laugh, “Crabby? You? Only in the morning. Before lunch. All day Tuesday and most of Sunday. Leap years. At high altitudes and low barometric pressures.” And just like their symbol of the Crab, although they may sometimes appear like they have a shell on the outside, inside they are really loving and kind. But aren’t Crabs the least bit fabulous?  Of course… think of Princess Diana. Or consider Julius Caesar – this Cancer emperor married Calpurnia, romanced Cleopatra – and kept boys on the side!

Cancers in love, well let’s just say they can be cute. They love with all of their hearts, and can be sentimentalists who still write love letters (…see what I mean by cute?) However, as much as Cancerians want companionship – it can also often times freak them out. I heard some good advice for Cancers on the topic of dating, “Not all frogs turn into princes on the first kiss. Try sticking it out a little longer. Keep kissing.” The strong and silent type is what will catch a Cancer’s eye. He or she provides a Cancer a cozy harbour from disappointment or emotional uncertainty – and maybe a little pampering won’t hurt, either.

Happy Birthday, Cancer! You’re not so crabby after all

Cancer by Josephine Wall (Please note that the image used for the Gemini posting, below, is also by Josephine Wall)

This summer, Kylie Minogue has earned her title as the Modern Day Aphrodite. With her new album Aphrodite, and more specifically her newest single All The Lovers – which was released for download on June 13th and is expected to become a huge summer anthem – Ms. Minogue proves once again that she is the classiest of them all. Kylie has removed the layers of bubblegum pop and delivered a soothing, magical, sultry, and absolutely beautiful song that should be on everyone’s iPod this Pride season.

The video is unexpected – but in a good way. Like always, Kylie remains poised, exuberant, and strong. In addition, the elements of white doves, white horses, and even white elephants keeps viewers on their toes. A crowd of lovers representing all sexualities, races and genders – all in white jockies – lift Kylie up to the heavens, growing and expanding as the video progresses (until, at last, they reach as high as the tallest buildings). However, the sexiness that this video portrays, to me, is not of a raunchy and over-exploited nature, but rather, a pure expression of love, lust, unity and spirituality (although, I would agree that one criticism could be the fact that all of the lovers are models with beautiful bodies. But if you keep with the theme of Aphrodite and her worshipers, it might make more sense). At the end of the video, Kylie releases a white dove and you can see her expression is one of joy and elation.

So what does Kylie have to do with spirituality? Well, I chose this particular music review to include in a space where the discourse is more spiritually-based because not only is the song uplifting; however, I think that the message is powerful and really speaks to the changing consciousness within the emerging generations. Enjoy.