Cyber Monday, Small Business Saturday we have it all.

 Give the most unique gifts under the Sun and never have to leave the comfort of your home.

For the cook who has everything – give a signed copy of “Signs of the Tines: The Ultimate Astrological Cookbook.” Just order a copy from the website, www.signsofthetines.com and drop me an email at [email protected] and tell me how you want it personalized and who to send it to and your shopping is done!

If you are in the mood for a gift basket then why not an Astrological Gift Basket? You will get a wonderful basket from C and C Unique Gift baskets that is tailored to the recipients birth chart. AND they will receive a printed copy of their birth chart as well as a thumb drive with an audio analysis done by yours truly!

To order visit http://www.candcgiftbaskets.com/category_23.asp.

Want a gift for yourself? Take advantage of our December special. ANYONE who wants a 2014 yearly analysis chart to prepare for the new year – – can take advantage of our special. Order your birth chart under “birthday special” and save $5.

Have a wonderful holiday season!!

Thanks for all of your support this year.

Joan

President Kennedy

Today on the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President Kennedy, I felt it was appropriate to look at his birth chart. For all of his faults, he was a leader who told us that public service was a great thing – not that government was bad, He told us that we could reach great goals not that we don’t want to pay taxes. He told us that we all had to contribute to the country, not just grab all we want for ourselves and damn the other guy, especially if he is poor or “different.” That is what we lost 50 years ago today and we yearn for it again. He made us feel good about America and united us toward common goals. Yes, he was a flawed man but a charismatic leader who makes us reach for the stars is something all nations crave.


It is not ironic that his South Node, his karmic identity was in Cancer in the 9th house. Cancer is the sign of the nurturer, the one who helps his people, and the 9th house is our connection to people beyond our borders. He came from lifetimes of involvement in huge, worldly issues that he tried to manipulate to help those in his care. Cancer is the traditional sign of the mother, the nurturer. No wonder that he loved international politics – he had been doing it for quite some time. 
With his North Node in Capricorn, the sign of the authority figure – the provider in the 3rd house, the house of communications it is no wonder we still hear so many of his words. He took that role very seriously – he constructed his words as much as he created his image. He took the role of leader, communicator, and thinker very seriously. In addition, the ruler of Capricorn is Saturn that is in the 10th house, the house of politics and government. It is a fair bet that he loved being the leader. Also note his Mars and Mercury in conjunction in Venus, the sign of creativity, is in the 7th house – the house of interacting with people on personal level. Mars, an intense amount of energy, conjuncting the communication planet yielded a speaking style that still inspires. Again, the words, the power behind the words and how they affect us is so prevalent in his chart.
Speaking of leader his chart is one of cardinal energy – cardinal signs are the movers and shakers, His “anchor houses” the first, fourth, seventh and ten houses are holding cardinal energy. He wasn’t about to not take the lead. (Cancer and Capricorn, his nodal axis, are also cardinal.) Sometimes this burst forward as recklessness, over reaching but he was not one to let life go by,
In his 6th house, the house of health is the sacred wound carrier, Chiron, and Vesta, the asteroid that puts roadblocks in our path. Pisces opens his 6th so we see how hard it was for doctors to pinpoint his illnesses – Pisces is very ephemeral. 
What about his notorious womanizing? (Actually, it went well beyond that and my liberal friends who bash Newt Gingrich for his sexual faults should be careful. JFK would today be classified as a predator.) Well, let’s look at his Venus in the 8th house, the house of power, regeneration, death, and rebirth. The 8th house makes it a power conquest issue and shows how reckless he could be – he dared and tempted the fates. His Venus squares the Moon and Ceres so emotion and nurturing would not natural to him and makes a trine to his retrograded Uranus- the sign of the rebel. Any Venus-Uranus combination gets me wondering about someones sexual preferences. 

Here is something interesting too. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’ Venus was also in the 8th house. Both shared a Venus in Gemini. So they shared that sense of drama and shared a love of words. This was a karmic marriage and one that will repeat itself sometime in the future.

Who was John Kennedy? He is who we need him to be and he was gone too soon. 

A Few More Retrogrades Bite the Dust…

Did you feel the shift this weekend? Besides the full Moon in Taurus we had last night, this weekend saw the movement of Neptune and the asteroid Chiron into a direct motion. They had been retrograded for a good part of 2013. Pluto led the way earlier this month and Uranus will follow next month. Then once we have Jupiter heading forward things will be smoother – once we get over the horrible Grand Cross in April – but let’s not dwell on that so close to Thanksgiving.

This will be a bumpy week emotionally as the Moon makes a quick pass through Cancer on Wednesday and Thursday squaring Uranus and then opposing Pluto along the way. Moon and Uranus interactions are a time of high and changeable emotions. It is best to stay away from “jumpy” or “high strung” people at that time. Pluto will be anything but excitable and will bring on sadness and a questioning of our emotions. The good news is the Moon never tarries! So just breath and think of the big guys going direct! We need some good energy from them for a change.

Be Creative with Wild Mushroom Soup!

This week on my podcast, “Astrological Cooking” I am happy to have as my guest, Arlene Weinstock, artist, photographer, author, and all around creative wizard. 

Arlene talks about her “loosen up” method to find your creative juices and she insists that all of us are creative. Check out the programs she offers on her website. http://www.arlenew.com/.
At the end of this week’s podcast, I give the recipe for my “Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup.”  This is a great holiday soup because it is so elegant and creamy and one that helps you express your creativity. There are so many mushrooms from which to choose. I like creminis and hen of the woods but you can try any assortment to make this dish exciting.

Check this and my other recipes in my cookbook, “Signs of the Tines: The Ultimate Astrological Cookbook,” available at www.signsofthetines.com.

OK I Can Tell You Now – Jupiter is in Retrograde.

I know I have been telling you that the big invisible guys, Neptune, Pluto, Uranus and the asteroid Juno are finally going direct and all will be out of retrograde around the beginning of the year.  I didn’t lie – don’t come after me with pitchforks. However, I may have sort of let’s say – neglected to tell you about Jupiter. Yes, Jupiter is heading backwards – well it is already there  – yes Jupiter will be retrograded in Cancer until mid March 2014.

But wait there is good news. Jupiter is the planet of expansion and moving up and out and forward – constant growth and movement. However, we are headed into the time when we should be going inwards. The days are getting shorter, on December 21 we will experience the shortest, darkest day of the year. You know it is insane that we race around in November and December, shopping and doing – we should be coming in from the cold and nesting not racing to Toys R U at 1 in the morning!

Since Jupiter is in the sign of Cancer, of home and hearth what better time for it to be in retrograde? It is telling us to slow down, assess where we need to work out any issues at home. Appreciate the beauty of a roaring firing and maybe making gifts for people instead of buying something. Spend some time learning how to be inwardly expansive as the days go away and be reading to burst forth in spring. How better to follow the pattern of the seasons. Let Jupiter be your guide on your inward journey.

November Issue – Astrological Awareness – Freebies – Podcasts and Gifts

November, 2013 Welcome to the November issues of “Astrological Awareness” – this month we have several opportunities for you to get some gifts for friends and yourself! This is a great time to get a jump on 2014 with a yearly astrological chart to see what is coming up for you in the New Year. Also check out a great new E Magazine, that you can get for free and my Astrological Cooking podcast! Did you FEEL the Eclipse on November 3? Many people wanted to see it but the Astrologically attuned wanted to feel it – an eclipse is a big event – it is a catalytic event. This one was in Scorpio – the sign of change and transformation. Where did it “hit” in your chart – what areas are ready to change in your life? If you don’t know – drop me an email – we can take a look at your chart. Thanks! Joan Porte Get your free 12-month subscription to “Lean Toward Happy!” I am so excited to tell you that every month one of my recipes will be in the new Apple magazine “Lean Toward Happy.” The first edition is now out and features my yummy dish for Sagittarians. To get your free 12-month subscription to “Lean Toward Happy” go to http://www.leantowardhappy.com/gift3912. Check out my free podcast! I am so happy to tell you that my podcast, “Astrological Cooking” on web talk radio.com is really taking off. Every other week we have a new guest to help understand some aspect of Astrology’s influence on our lives. This month we have a wonderful artist Arlene Weinstock, www.arlenew.com visiting us on November 11 and tell us about unleashing creativity. November 28 will feature coach and facilitator Kate Trygstad, www.creativefacilitating.com, will show us how we can shoot our arrow in the air like the Archer, the symbol of Sagittarius and reach our goals. Never miss a podcast – get a free RSS feed at http://webtalkradio.net/internet-talk-radio/category/podcasts/fun-food-pets-and-travel/astrological-cook/feed/! Get a Jump on Your Gift Giving Give a signed copy of my cookbook, “Signs of the Tines: The Ultimate Astrological Cookbook” for the Holidays The book is available from Amazon and Barnes and Noble.com but to get a signed copy order a copy directly from the website and shoot me an email to tell me how the book should be signed. http://www.signsofthetines.com/ Give the most personalized gift under the stars! Whether you want to surprise someone with a natal birth chart for the holidays or want me to chart what the energy of the stars have in store for them in 2014 it is best to order the chart early! I will email it out on whatever day you want. However, since these charts are so personalized and they take a bit of my time it is best to get them started early. I wish I had Santa’s elves! To order visit my blog http://joansastrology.blogspot.com/p/get-your-chart.html Jump for Joy over Jupiter: Acorn Squash and Polenta Soufflé In my latest podcast of The Astrological Cook on Web Talk Radio http://webtalkradio.net/internet-talk-radio/astrological-cook/, I spoke of Jupiter and the joy and expansion it looks to bring to our lives. Because my interview with Lean toward Happy creator Roz Warren www.leantowardhappy.com/ went a bit long (how Jupiterian is that), I didn’t have time to give listeners my recipe for Acorn Squash and Polenta Soufflé so here it is! I made this out of leftovers a few weeks ago and it is so easy and delicious. Makes 6 -8 servings 2 medium acorn squash 1 ½ cups corn meal 2 teaspoons salt 3 tablespoons unsalted butter ¼-cup milk 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon, freshly ground nutmeg ½-teaspoon cardamom Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. NOTE if you are one of those people who hates to wield dangerous knives there is an easy way to handle acorn squash. Just bake them in a 400-degree oven for about 40 minutes until they are soft, let them cool then slice them in half, remove the seeds and the skin. It is easier that doing all that when they are hard as a rock. While the acorn squash is cooling, make the polenta. Bring 3 quarts of water to a mild boil then slowly whisk in the corn meal. You do not want lumps so keep whisking until smooth, stir in the salt and butter, and blend well. Remove from the heat. Combine the cooled acorn squash and polenta in a food processor, add the milk and spices, and blend until very smooth. Pour into a greased 1-quart soufflé pan and bake 20 minutes. Serve immediately. HAPPY THANKSGIVING ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! .

Scorpio Eclipse November 3 –See it or FEEL it?

OK ready or not here comes the eclipse! What does this mean astrologically? All eclipses give as a great possibility to initiate change in our lives. Solar eclipses are a new beginning – because we are seeing the coming together of the opposite forces – the yin and yang – Sun –fire and Moon – emotion. It is a great time to make plans, commitments, and decisions and say I am going to do this. It is like one big New Year’s resolution but with cosmic energy instead of ten martini’s to back it up. What I find funny is so many people want to “see” the eclipse (NOTE: watch your eyes – there are correct ways of doing that) but how many people want to feel it – to live it – to embody the energy of it? This eclipse is in Scorpio – a very transformative energy. Scorpio demands that we dig deep within ourselves, overcome our secrets, fears, and taboos, and find a new sense of power. The questions that we should be asking are where does this eclipse interact with my chart – where should I be feeling the energy of change?

Jump for Joy Over Jupiter: Acorn Squash and Polenta Soufflé

In my latest podcast of The Astrological Cook on Web Talk Radio http://webtalkradio.net/internet-talk-radio/astrological-cook/, I spoke of Jupiter and the joy and expansion it looks to bring to our lives. Because my interview with Lean toward Happy creator Roz Warren www.leantowardhappy.com/ went a bit long (how Jupiterian is that), I didn’t have time to give listeners my recipe for Acorn Squash and Polenta Soufflé so here it is! I made this out of leftovers a few weeks ago and it is so easy and delicious. Makes 6 -8 servings 2 medium acorn squash 1 ½ cups corn meal 2 teaspoons salt 3 tablespoons unsalted butter ¼-cup milk 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon, freshly ground nutmeg ½-teaspoon cardamom Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. NOTE if you are one of those people who hates to wield dangerous knives there is an easy way to handle acorn squash. Just bake them in a 400-degree oven for about 40 minutes until they are soft, let them cool then slice them in half, remove the seeds and the skin. It is easier that doing all that when they are hard as a rock. While the acorn squash is cooling, make the polenta. Bring 3 quarts of water to a mild boil then slowly whisk in the corn meal. You do not want lumps so keep whisking until smooth, stir in the salt and butter, and blend well. Remove from the heat. Combine the cooled acorn squash and polenta in a food processor, add the milk and spices, and blend until very smooth. Pour into a greased 1-quart soufflé pan and bake 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Guest Blogger today – author of “Feminine Transitions: A Photographic Celebration of Natural Beauty”

Please welcome my guest blogger today Alyscia Cunningham, a photographer and author of “Feminine Transitions: A Photographic Celebration of Natural Beauty” a wonderful new book reminding us about real values. Check out Alyscia’s work at her sites below! Thanks www.Alyscia.com www.facebook.com/FeminineTransitions www.twitter.com/AlysciaCPhoto www.facebook.com/AlysciaCPhoto My Creative Discovery As I child I vividly remember cutting out Garfield comic strips from the New York Times in attempt to draw it. I used to trace but gave it a go free hand. To my surprise, it looked exactly like the drawing of Garfield, emotions and all. From there I began recreating all sorts of animations in my notebooks (I was a doodler in school and my notebooks proved it). In the 7th grade, I drew a picture of Tupac I had hanging on my bedroom wall. I was stunned! It was my first attempt drawing a non-cartoon character and it looked exactly like Tupac. I could now draw people. Or maybe it was always there but I never explored it. After that, I started drawing portraits of classmates for a small fee ($2-$3). I remember having someone different scheduled each week during a particular class (I can’t seem to remember what class it was and how I got away with sitting in the back, not getting any work done, yet drawing away). I first discovered my love for Photography when I took it as an art elective – Photographic Expression, while studying at Montgomery College. At the end of the course, my Professor was so impressed with my portfolio that he encouraged me to take the next course, Photography I. Discovering my passion for photography I did not stop at Photography I but continued with Photography II. By then, my Professor and classmates were suggesting that I consider a career in photography. Changing my major from Physical Therapy to Photography was the easiest decision of my adult life. My main focus is human images and how it can be incorporated with light and shadow. I use dramatic lighting in many of my images because it fosters greater interaction between you and the photographs, as you tend to analyze it a little more. Likewise, the use of close ups creates a sense of intimacy and usually draws a greater emotional reaction from you. Above all I love to convey a feeling of ease or comfort through my subjects. I believe my innate tranquility is of great help in doing so. My visions are the biggest inspiration for my creativity. I typically don’t plan a drawing or photo in advance. A visual almost always comes to me in pictures, including the idea for my book, Feminine Transitions. First I foresee it then use my camera or pen to capture what I visualized. In order to me to remember, I began to sleep with a journal by my bedside. I would wake up in the wee hours of the morning and sketch or write down the imagery that came to me. To this day it still amazes me how I see my images beforehand. How does one describe the logic in that? Science always seems to have an answer for the unknown. To be quite honest, it really can’t be explained. It is one of the beautiful mysteries of inherent creativity and the Universe.