The Astrological Dinner Party: A Great Holiday Gift and Fun Way to Kick Off the New Year

What better way to spice up your parties than by adding a little bit of stardust? Star the New Year off with a new way to entertain; the astrological dinner party. It is a wonderful new way to do a potluck that will not only assure a great variety of foods but hours of conversation as guests compare their choices with their chart signs. Invite some friends over and ask them to bring a dish that epitomizes their Sun sign*. They do not have to be astrological wizards. Everyone knows their sun signs and knows something about the energy they emit. Have them bring the food in a brown bag, with no outside markings. No one is to peek at anyone else’s’ offerings. Invite your guests to have some wine and snacks in the other room while you get the dinner ready. Remove the food from the original plates and place them in your own service. This will eliminate people knowing who brought what by recognizing someone’s china. Once you serve the dishes, have everyone guess who brought what. That healthy quinoa salad has to be from the Virgo while the Capricorn probably came armed with a chicken potpie or something else of great substance. If there are two people of the same Sun sign it is no problem. There are many traits exhibited by each sign and it will be interesting to see how they express in each person. Of course, I would encourage you to have my cookbook on hand to answer any astrological questions that might arise. If you prefer to cook the food yourself and surprise your friends with their own personalized Sun-sign dishes, you can prepare any number of meals from my cookbook. There are at least ten recipes for each astrological signs “In Signs of the Tines.” For your Libra friend create a surf-and-turf to keep them in balance. For the Aries, the warrior inspired Mongolian Hot Pot. If you are stuck with the age-old question, what should I buy for everyone this Holiday season, why not prepare an astrological meal? It is fun, personalized and something they will always remember. What greater gift can you give then to prepare a dish just for them handpicked by the stars? *For the more astro-savvy crowd ask them to cook for their rising sign! That will really spark discussions. “Signs of the Tines: The Ultimate Astrological Cookbook” is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and www.signsofthetines.com. For chart readings me Joan at Joansastrology@gmail.com. Download my podcast Astrological Cooking at http://webtalkradio.net/internet-talk-radio/astrological-cook/.

New Horizons for the New Year

As we start 2012, we will see some big changes in the large, slower moving planets that make large impacts on society. Jupiter is moving into Taurus, a change from loosey goosey Gemini, into the stable Bull. I hope it will bring some stability to the stock market and get people thinking about prosperity again.

Uranus heading in Aries will see an explosion for technology. I know – what have we been seeing? However, Uranus is all about electricity and sparks and the future is Aries is the epitome of masculine charging energy.  This also a time when we question authority figures – the Occupy Movement started just as Uranus reach Aries.

Finally and perhaps more interestingly, in early 2012 Neptune will move into Pisces, the sign it rules. While I highly doubt the world will end in 2012- please! — this is a time for an intense spiritual awakening.  We haven’t seen Neptune in Pisces since 1848 and it is so funny that several books about that year have been published lately. That was a time when the “Communist Manifesto” was published – a false Utopian hope for a new way of governing – very Piscean. It was also the beginning of waves of spiritualism and Utopian communities of the Alcotts and Thoreaus.

Those who are spiritually attuned will have a wonderful time exploring new planes.

However, the shadow of Neptune is total illusion – 1848 was the start of the Gold Rush – where masses thought they would make it big in the West.  With Neptune you also have drug use and escapism of all kinds. I think with that Uranus in Aries there will be wild new ways to disengage and “drop out” of society.

So hang onto your hats kids – 2012 is bringing in a lot of changes. Keep your feet on the ground but your head in the spiritual realm and your hands on the Ipod 1000!

Happy New Year

A New Year’s Eve Blue Moon

I just wanted to give you a little heads up. On this New Year’s Eve there will be a blue moon. While there are several definitions of a blue moon, the most common is the second full Moon in one calendar month. What does this mean astrologically? Well, not much – other than the implications of any full Moon on your chart. If the full Moon is sitting on top of one of your personal planets (Sun, Moon, Venus, Mercury, Mars) then you are going to feel it emotionally whether it is blue, green or chartreuse. If BOTH full Moons in December (the first being Dec. 2, 2009) impact your personal planets, well it will be a wild holiday season for you for sure!

The reason I bring this up is twofold. One, can you imagine what a full Moon will do to already crazed New Year’s revelers? Two, I might suggest a more meaningful way to ring in 2010; instead of joining them in drunken revelry why not sit outside and look up at the beautiful Moon and see what messages it has to tell you for the future.