A Little Less Guilt on Thanksgiving: Flourless, Sugarless Chocolate Cake

If you plan to jam potatoes and stuffing in your face on Thanksgiving, you can still end your feast with the taste of chocolate sans the flour and sugar. The chocolate is so rich and delicious that you really don’t miss the less healthy aspects of this cake.

Flourless chocolate cake

Makes one 8-inch round cake

6 oz. semi sweet baking chocolate (I use ones that are at least 80 percent cocoa)

½ cup butter – you can use coconut oil

¼ cup cocoa powder

3 eggs

1/2 cup honey

Optional Berry Topping
Combine 12 ounces of your favorite frozen berries, ¼ cup of water and 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook about 10 minutes until they are soft. Cool and blend until smooth in blender.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F, and grease an 8 inch pan with cooking spray or butter.

In a double boiler, melt the chocolate. Remove from the heat and then stir in the butter or coconut oil until melted and mixed well with the chocolate. Stir in the rest of ingredients until the batter is smooth. There should be no clumps.

Bake 20 minutes or until the center just bounces back to the touch. Cool on a wire rack and serve at room temperature.

You can serve with berry topping and/or whipped cream. (Blend up real heavy cream in the blender don’t use the canned stuff.)

This and more recipes can be found in my cookbook, “Signs of the Tines: The Ultimate Astrological Cookbook” – available at B&N online and Amazon and joanporte.com

Thanksgiving Full Moon

moonWe will be able to go to “grannies house” for Thanksgiving this year by the light of the full Moon. While it will be at its peak on November 25, one day before Thanksgiving, she will still be bright on Thanksgiving.

 

If you are one who takes a walk after the big meal, look in the sky and she might be visible still even during the day.  In fact, being active might be the right prescription for this day both spiritually and physically.

 

This is a Gemini Moon because the opposing Sun is in  Sagittarius, this is the Astrological axis of information. Both Gemini and Sagittarius love to exchange knowledge. Gemini is proud of his ability to know a little about a lot and Sagittarius just loves knowing – and telling you what they know! This can make for some interesting Thanksgiving discussions, to say the least.

 

This Moon will occur a direct Saturn square Neptune (see my post two weeks ago for more information on this.) This is a clash of the authority and known social attitudes (Saturn) and dreamy, spiritual wandering (Neptune.) This is what we used to call a perfect clash of the generation gap; the established versus the young dreamer. As I said, this could be an interesting Thanksgiving around the dinner table!

Saturn Square Neptune What to Expect

On November 26, Saturn and Neptune will perform the first of three squares. The next will be June 17, 2016 and the final one on September 10, 2016.Saturn and Jupiter

Saturn is in Sagittarius and Neptune is in Pisces so you can call this the clash of the searchers. Sagittarius is searching, growth, spiritual and philosophical growth. When structured and orderly Capricorn is in the constellation of Sagittarius it is a tight squeeze. It is as though Capricorn is trying to reign in the boundlessness of Sag. However, this is a great time to codify our lessons. By that I mean, take the areas close to Sagittarius, such as, higher education, publishing, broadcasting, travel, spiritual and philosophical study, and make a plan of action to further your knowledge in each. Don’t think of it as Capricorn choking that Sagittarian enthusiasm but a way to hone in on making those dreams a reality.

Pisces rules Neptune and when Neptune is transiting its home constellation, spiritual awareness is at its height. Those of us attuned to spirituality feel the pull Neptune calling us to reach further heights. Of course, because Neptune has an element of illusion about it, this is also a prime time for spiritual hucksters. (We have seen a lot of that lately on the national scene.)

This square is the clash of the spiritual titans. Because a square is difficult aspect, it will bring up issues of spiritual inadequacy, even sadness, depression because our spiritual beliefs that once buoyed us seem less solid. Think of this as a time of freeing your mind from old dogmas which may be as useless as the ancient shoes in the back of your closet. Through the pain and doubt of a square comes growth.

On a larger scale, look for these squares to shift religious beliefs nationwide. While I personally hope this means people (read the politicians) keep their beliefs to themselves, free will can dictate that we inch ever closer to being a more theocratic nation.

 

 

 

The Astrology of Political Action

Asked recently if there is a way to find someone’s propensity for political action in a chart, I had to admit I didn’t really know the answer. Being a Scorpio Sun, a loving the hunt, I started to research the topic and find some interesting information.

 

VOTE

While the basics of someone being a leader appears in the number of Cardinal, leadership signs, and placements to the 10th house of career or sixth house of work. With politics, there is more nuance, however. A recent study of more than 400 charts had some interesting results. People with the asteroid Pallas Athena in a positive aspect to the personal planets, (Sun, Moon, Mercury, and Venus) indicated a leaning towards more peaceful political inclinations and liberalism.  Pallas shows how we take up the cause for others – where we battle for the underdog. However, if Pallas was in disharmony to benefic Jupiter and in more harmony with more authoritarian Saturn, the person was more inclined to harder right, strict conservative movements.

Venus, because of her association with money, indicates how wealth influences our vote. A Venus well aspected to our rising sign or second house (the house of resources) shows someone more inclined toward free market candidates. However, with Venus closer to Neptune (a planet big on compassion) the person is more likely to vote left on economic issues.

A stronger Saturn (the stern time keeper and task master) makes a person more right in their beliefs while a stronger Uranus (the free thinker) makes one inclined to more left wing ideas.

No matter your proclivities, the important thing to do today and every Election Day is — yes! VOTE!

We normally get 37 percent of the voting population out on non-presidential years and that is a horrible number.