at some point you are going to need somebody to stand by you. 

This is a very dynamic and exciting time, and we are all feeling the shifts around just about every part of our lives. This water sign Scorpio Full Moon is a perfect example of the energies around us, and how we are becoming more and more conscious of how we are so much a part of these shifts.

The Sun, Ceres (now a dwarf planet), Jupiter and Sedna, also a dwarf planet, are all conjunct in Taurus, an earth sign, emphasizing the fact that we are all part of the web of life. Sedna, a planet three times more distant than Pluto, and first sighted in the constellation of Cetus the Whale in 2003. Named for an Inuit sea goddess, Sedna functions as a bridge between the human and aquatic worlds. She symbolizes the need to reconnect with what has been submerged or frozen in our psyche, and brings attention to the critical condition of our oceans. Both Scorpio and Taurus are representing opposite signs, but at the same time, they both also are representative of the earth and oceans, translating into what we humans both cherish, and need to transform. In regards to Sedna, I would highly recommend the movie Whale Rider.

One of the symbols for Scorpio is the Phoenix rising, and I truly believe that at this time we are all being asked to let go of what no longer serves us, and be ready to open to a new level of acceptance and passion around as many areas of living as we can possibly embrace!!

The Full Moon is exact late tonight, and on into tomorrow. Take this time to at least step outside and experience the moon, and, since it’s Cinco de Mayo, maybe even dance under the moon, and then, write some affirmations that include the words: Transformation, Magic, Great Mystery, Regeneration, Resourcefulness, and Expanded Healing.

This is a glorious cycle, this summer offers us so many experiences to embrace: we have a Gemini New Moon Solar Eclipse in two weeks, two weeks later we have a Sagittarius Full Moon Lunar Eclipse, and the day after that eclipse we have Venus eclipsing our Sun! And, two weeks after that, we have a second Gemini New Moon!! It’s time to wake up, step up, and know that we are truly in a time to remember!!

We had a wonderful time at the Retreat in Belize, and want to do that again for sure!!
Enjoy the Moon, it’s another SuperMoon, which means it’s closest to the Earth, and in line with both the Sun and the Earth. Here we go, ready or not!!

But life on three legs proved to be difficult, and Bella eventually stopped trying to move around. Facing imminent euthanasia, Bella received help from Michael Carlson of the Hanger Clinic, the same company that built a prosthetic tail for Winter the dolphin, the Bee reports.

Today, the llama looks forward to frolicking with her new leg, which is outfitted with a cheetah-print pattern. And she’s even developed a loving relationship with the team that gave her a second chance at life.

With vases of all different shapes and sizes, it’s often hard to tell what flowers to arrange in them and how.

The Column Vase: Column vases can be daunting, but they’re easier to use than you’d think. Keep your flower stems long, as you’ll only need to trim, and create a loose arrangement with a few varieties.

• Begin with your foliage. Insert a few stems. pointing them in different directions. The foliage stems will anchor the rest of you arrangement.
• Now insert your longest flowers – these are the ones that are going to stand out most.
• Keep adding flowers variety by variety and work in a circle, always walking around the vase, making sure to cover every angle.
• Now push the stems into the vase a bit and squish in a few strands of ivy to surround (and disguise) the stems.
• You’d be surprised; a little water, changed often, goes a long way.

The Hourglass Flared Vase: Flared vases can be tricky, as the shape doesn’t lend your arrangement much structure. That’s where learning how to make a bouquet comes in handy…

• Remove surplus foliage and cut stems to a similar size. You will trim again at the end.
• Start by pairing a bit of foliage with your focal flower, in this case, a rose and white leaf.
• Add a flower from each stack, one by one.
• Keep adding flowers and foliage, rotating the bouquet in your hand.
• Make sure you don’t have too much of one flower or color in one section.
• Tie some twine around the bouquet to hold it together.

The Cone Vase: Surprisingly, a dramatic shape like this one is relatively easy to arrange for. The peculiar shape of the vase itself will give your arrangement a unique look.

• Go for big bushy varieties like lilacs that can easily fill up the vase.
• Add each flower at a sharp angle, lock it in, and hold it down.
• Disguise the cone with some ivy or another kind of foliage and top with your arrangement.

The Regular Flared Vase: This is the kind of vase that most of us probably have at home and yet it’s surprisingly difficult to get right, as opposed to more dramatic shapes like the cone above.

• Holds the bouquet next to the vase and trims the stems (always at an angle so they’ll absorb more water) to the desired height.
• Carefully puts the arrangement in the vase, holding the bouquet tight until it’s released in the water.

The Cut Glass Vase: These old-fashioned looking vases benefit from a tight, formal bouquet.All you’ll need is a tight bouquet of roses tied with twine. To disguise the twine, use a ribbon and pin it to the bouquet as demonstrated above.

• Take a short length of ribbon
• Wrap it around the bouquet.
• Pin the first piece of ribbon into the bouquet.
• Fold the other edge of the ribbon.
• Pin it into the bouquet.
• Now insert the bouquet into the vase.

The Cube Vase: Hydrangeas are a great flower to use in a cube vase. They’re big and bushy and this contrasts well with an angular and squat vase like the cube.

• The trick here is to trim the leaves off the hydrangea stem and save them for the vase.
• Fill the cube with water and then push the hydrangea leaves against all sides of the glass.
• Create a bouquet of hydrangeas, and tie it with twine.
• Cut the stems so that the blooms will sit right on the lip of the vase and you’re done.

The Tall Rounded Vase: A big vase like this one can be eluding. Keep it simple with one single variety of tall stemmed flowers such as lilies or, in this case, delphiniums.

• Strip the stems to the height of the lip of the vase.
• Bunch several together and then let them loosen once inside the vase.
• A simple, yet striking arrangement.

Article featured in the goop

As a successful Hollywood comedian, actor, writer and producer, he attained all the modern day luxuries including a home with 13 bathrooms.  When he realized material success failed to bring him happiness, he embarked on a completely different path by selling his home, moving into a 1,000 square foot mobile home and finding out what brings people true happiness.

He touched on something we have espoused for quite some time now.  Each and every day find something to bring you JOY.  It can be as simple as enjoying your morning coffee in the peace and quiet of nature to gardening to helping another out.  Whatever it is that puts a smile on your face, commit to doing it at least once a day.  By doing so, you will see your life begin to shift ever so slightly until more happiness fills your being.

Now on to more about connecting to who you are and your place in the world from Nancy Ogren and Stephanie Austin…

TAURUS NEW MOON – APRIL 21  (Stephanie Austin Mt. Astrologer)

Taurus is the first earth sign in the zodiac, charged with developing a healthy relationship to the physical plane, which includes our bodies, resources, and the beautiful planet on which we live.  In Taurus, we learn about matter – and what matters.  We discover that true security and success are not measured by material wealth or status, but by happiness, good health, kinship, and meaningful work.  Taurus teaches us that there are two ways to be rich: One is to have what you want, and the other is to want what you have.  Both require a healthy sense of values and self-worth.  If we don’t know what we really want, or don’t believe we deserve to have what we want, we’ll fall into the traps of Taurus: “affluenza,” gullibility, and struggles around money.  For an eye-opening documentary on how money and resources have been manipulated, how scientific breakthroughs have been suppressed, and what we can do to reclaim our lives, you may want to watch Thrive.

The second sign asks us to be more attuned to our senses, our body, and the Earth, the more grounded, present, and powerful we can be.  Although technology has brought us many wonderful blessings, it has also disconnected us from Nature and each other.  The average child to the United Statesspends 44 hours a week with electronic media, and many adults also spend the vast majority of their time indoors on electronic devices.  Ceres conjoins the Sun and Moon, emphasizing the need to return to a more wholesome relationship with Nature.  Ceres’ 2006 astronomical upgrade from asteroid to dwarf planet coincides with growing awareness of worldwide environmental degradation and the imperative to responsibly steward our vital natural resources.  As the Great Mother or Goddess of the Harvest, whose daughter was abducted by Pluto, Ceres’ mythic journey of loss and grief depicted the shift from a feminine, Nature-centered era to a masculine-dominated paradigm.  Ceres’ conjunction with this New Moon in Taurus offers the opportunity to birth a new expression of the feminine, which uses its power to teach, protect, and sustain life.

The Sun, Moon, Ceres, and Jupiter in Taurus offers humanity the opportunity to birth a new expression of the feminine, which uses its power to teach, protect, and sustain life.  We’re also asked to recall and reflect on re-connecting with where our food comes from, where our garbage goes, and to live in balance with all life.  Water privatization, genetically modified foods, hydraulic fracturing, soil degradation, and deforestation are some of the many critical issues facing humanity.  What needs to be changed in our environment?  What’s your part to play? Meditate by water or woods for your answer.  April 22 is Earth Day, having grown from 20 million people involved with the first Earth Day in 1970 to more than one billion in 174 countries.  Honor all your senses, and remember:  “Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.  (John Muir)

We’ve known Maureen for years and highly recommend her workshops. We are also delighted to carry some of her wonderful audio meditations and sprays.

Read on to see why you should be doing Soul Retrival this month – on us! Being open to possibilities has caused me to come to some NEW conclusions. The detail of what I now know is that the Washington DC earthquake was NOT what we thought. Some persons claimed that the “quake’ was the destruction of the secret underground vaults and facilities of the power elite in government. If this is true, the technology used was not of this earth because there was no “fallout” and no radiation. There is a lot of information available on the web supporting this claim.

Now – let us advance to another theory – the information that came through from the “web bots” that said that people would “disappear.” One minute they would be there and then the next, “poof!” they were gone.

What I was shown recently is that all the leadership resignations and bank resignations are the individuals who know who they are (members of the cabal) who are stepping down, because if they do NOT, they will “disappear” forever from this reality. Their gig is up!

Why then would there be so many messages regarding “disclosure” and that the ETs would become visible? They are visible. But only to those who need to be reminded that the gig is up! The message is clear, not to those who are still operating within the free will zone – but those who needed to “get the message” that their misuse of power will be exposed! You don’t have to take my word for it. Look at the sky and notice the weird shapes of clouds. Some look normal while others look like they are covering up something! Be sure to examine the photo I included at the top of this newsletter.

How to step into your power?
In the last two weeks I was working with the woman who shares the “Mantle of the Divine Mother” with me. She asked for an Akashic Records reading – and during the reading it was clear that the “duty and obligation” and the “intimidation factor” were coming up to be cleared. As a good daughter, she was struggling with doing her “duty” and asserting herself as the power of attorney for her mother. Even though she had every right to know what was going on, the information was being withheld.

As the information came through the Record Keepers, they provided additional understanding that identified this issue was humanity’s intimidation, not just ONE person’s issue, but the collective! How many times have you given the “proper” response rather than a case by case basis?

We were both told to do the Soul Retrieval meditation work for the next three days and to invoke this for ourselves as well as all of humanity. The first time I held this ceremony the energy was so high I felt like I was on cloud nine! I called in the soul parts of humanity that have been lost – especially due to this issue of intimidation and then integrated them. After that I was guided to make this ceremony available to you.

May the divine bless us all to bring peace and happiness in our life!

When visiting the United States, Shiva Kumar, performs the most wonderful, uplifting pujas.

Puja is the act of showing reverence to a god, a spirit, or another aspect of the divine through invocations, prayers, songs, and rituals. An essential part of puja is making a spiritual connection with the divine. Most often that contact is facilitated through an object: an element of nature, a sculpture, a vessel, a painting, or a print.

This is really a blessed Full Moon.  There’s a wonderful calm quality, and coming on Good Friday, with this weekend to step back and really celebrate the multitude of connections we have in our lives, we are using the gentleness of the etheric quality of Libra to remind us of the many choices we make on a continual basis around where the core of gentleness is in our lives.

We will be enjoying the guidance of this Full Moon till April 5, with the next Full Moon.  So in these weeks to come, allow the sense of equilibrium to be manifesting itself in your consciousness.  Be generous with your interactions, and know that with this Moon you are seeing a brighter and more expanded picture of what’s coming into your life.

It’s time for generosity and trust to emerge, and in the months to come, we must find a way of achieving an agreement on as many levels as possible in order to achieve the higher, most important, and the collective soul’s journey.

I want to leave you with a poem by David Whyte called Working Together:

We shape our self to fit this world

and by the world are shaped again.

The visible and the invisible

Working together in common cause,

to produce the miraculous.

I am thinking of the way the intangible air

passed at speed round a shaped wing

easily holds our weight.

So may we, in this life trust

to those elements we have yet to see

or imagine, and look for the true

shape of our own self, by forming it well

to the great intangibles about us.

David advises you to always read a poem aloud, and at least twice!

Successful people succeed in good times.  Successful people succeed in bad times.

For anyone to blame their specific circumstance on events happening outside of themselves, such as the current “economy”, is a grave mistake.  If you find yourself to be doing this, ask yourself, “did you make millions when we were in the “boom” times?”  I suspect the answer is no.

Then why didn’t you?  What was holding you back then?  Likely the very same thing holding you back now.

The only difference now is you get to blame something outside of yourself when the constant in the entire timeline is you, your belief system and your view of the world.

Release any shackles holding you back now!  Do you know how sweet it will feel for you to succeed when others say you can’t.  Go for it!

Break down the barriers of limiting beliefs now once and for all.

Dance to the Rhythm of Your Own Drum

Recently I was chatting with a woman while we stood in line at the check-out counter at a fabric store. She was talking about how bad the economy is and how rough it is for everyone. I agreed with her about the vast number of people that are facing difficult times right now. Then she asked me, point blank, how my business was doing. I hesitated a moment, took a deep breath, and then told her the truth. I said that my business was doing well. In an instant, her eyes narrowed, she pursed her lips and a barely contained rage surged through her. She swirled around and turned her back on me and then left the store without looking at me.

In this show, we will look into the amazing power of dreams and learn some tools for boosting our ability to understand them. There are universal symbols embodied in dreams that can be easily interpreted. Dreams are called the “royal road of information.” Learn to use these gifts of the subconscious to recognize what is happening to you on a deep level, and to overcome the challenges that you are experiencing in your life.

Hosted by: Derek O’Neill
When: Monday, April 22, 2012
Time: 9AM Pacific / 12PM Eastern
Click here to tune in