Happy Ganesh - Astrology

Happy Thanksgiving - New Moon, Mercury in Retro, and a Solar Eclipse!

2011-11-24T13:17:00.002-05:00

Dear friends,

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope the long Thanksgiving Day weekend brings each and every one of you a chance to reflect, rest, and recharge.

This is a perfect time to really get into the spirit of the holiday. You could

* make a gratitude list

* call a friend

* take the time to really be present in your life

*unwind and recharge

Astrologically, things are heating up. On Friday, the New Moon goes into bright and clear, spiritually oriented Sagittarius. It's our time to manifest Sag-style wishes such as:

* kindred spirits

* religious or philosophical answers

* a dedication to the truth

* getting excited and working toward the BIG PICTURE, as opposed to the small details

What Else Is Going On?

Just in time for the New Moon, we also hit the Solar Eclipse in Sag as well, bringing major changes. Since Sagittarius is a positive, hopeful sign, consider this New Moon/Eclipse double the energy, double the fun. Plus, toss in the Mercury in Retrograde in Sag from Thanksgiving Day until Dec 14th, and be sure to double check emails and communication skills.

Solar Eclipses are known to:

* dislodge situations that aren't working

* clear the path for new and fresh starts

* remove the "pothole" from your path

* clean house in a major way

* force "fate" to get involved - things happen for reasons you can't imagine

Retrograde Cycles are known to:

* confuse communication or create technological issues

* force you to be very clear about travel issues

* bring old friends or lovers back for resolution

While the Mercury in Sag is squaring off to Mars, we may see areas where the communication (and dreams of communication) don't quite match the reality of the day to day grind (Mars) yet. That's ok - just keep chugging along, making allowances for Retro snafus.

Overall, this is a powerful time for us - a time to clean house, be thankful and move forward as we get closer to 2012.

All my best and a Happy Thanksgiving!

Marissa

New Moon in Scorpio - "Dig Deep! Power Up!"

2011-10-25T22:10:00.001-04:00

New Moon in Scorpio on October 26, 2011!

(Happy birthday Scorpio? Want a reading? Go here or check out our Facebook page!

The Scorpio New Moon occurs at 3 degrees at 3:57 pm on October 26, 2011.

Scorpio shines a spotlight on the darker areas of our lives. Scorpio energy is powerful, passionate, intense, spiritual, and amazingly strong. The negative side of Scorp? Obsessive, controlling, and dark. We've got this powerful, powerful placement in the New Moon tomorrow night and it will remain there for about 2.5 days. However, we'll be riding out the tide of the Scorpio New Moon for the next two weeks.

New Moons open the door to manifestation. They ask if we can work with energy and give us a special astrological passport to accomplish and co-create with the universe, so we've got the wonderful chance to really manifest Scorpio issues (see list below) in the next two weeks.

The Sun is in Scorpio - and the Scorpio New Moon will match it tomorrow night, giving us a double whammy of Scorpio energy. Enough to blast the door open. Enough to plow through hardship and come out, renewed. Enough to really, really, really dig deep and get moving. There's a Facebook image based on the Occupy Wall Street Movement. It's called Occupy the Present and the caption is "Dig deep. Power up!" If I tried, I could not think of a more perfect saying for the New Moon in Scorpio. "DIG DEEP. POWER UP." Bingo! Allow yourself to pay attention to where you are and what you want. Be as authentic as possible.

The New Moon in Scorpio gives you power in the following (Scorpio themed) areas:

psychological change
courage
the ability to go into the dark and come out into the light
exploration of your inner self
rebirth
regeneration
personal clarity
passion - that starts with the spirit
healing, primarily deep psychological or sexual healing since both psychology and sex are ruled by Scorpio

What else is going on with this New Moon?:

Scorpio energy cleanses the old stuff and breaks it down, so that the new stuff can be born. On October 28, 2011, two days after this Scorpio New Moon, Jupiter (in sensual, earthy, grounded Taurus) trines Scorpio's ruler Pluto (in cranky, slow-moving, status-loving Capricorn). (Some believe that is the actual day that the Mayan calendar ends and projects us into an early "2012" - setting the stage for some major growth potential, both collectively and individually).

What does this mean? Basically the planet of luck (Jupiter) and the planet of the underworld and massive change (Pluto) are joining forces to bring great expansion and luck (a Jupiter quality) as the universe cleans out its closets in order to make room for the new (a Pluto quality) . In other words? Anything you want to drag up from your own personal underworld can only serve you and actually bring you luck and growth (although since Jupiter is in Retrograde until December 25, expect the major movement in this area to be after Christmas).

Have any questions? Be sure to visit Happy Ganesh on Facebook or drop me an email here.

Image: Creative Commons

Full Moon in Aries, Sun in Libra

2011-10-10T18:07:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow, the Full Moon in Aries will hit at around 10 pm, and last for around 2.5 days.

We've got a few interesting things going on here.
1) The Sun (identity) is in Libra
2) Saturn is still in Libra until the fall of 2012
3) The Full Moon in Aries asks us where are WE in relationships. Where do we fit in?

The start of the month asked us to manifest peaceful relationships. Saturn continues to ask us "What mature lessons are we learning?" The Full Moon in Aries wants what it wants. It asks you to feel the fiery, passionate, let's-do-it-now gasbag of feeling. This is a little bit like having part of our nature that will want peace and harmony (Sun Libra), the other part will want what it wants right the f*** now (Moon Aries), and the wise, old teacher in the corner (Saturn in Libra) asking us to make wise, long-term decisions. This Full Moon is going to ask us to focus on the self, in lieu of other "peace-making" chances and ask us to remember where we are, to not give ourselves up for the sake of Sun Libra peace and harmony. The Full Moon in Aries is also going to encourage us to make fast, quick changes - and the Saturn Libra (til 2012) will encourage us to be that image of the wise old teacher to ourselves.

This is the culmination of the Sun/Moon Libra (New Moon) at the start of the month.

The Aries Full Moon asks you if you have the COURAGE, WILL, AND WARRIOR SPIRIT to follow through with the Libra New Moon of PEACE, BALANCE, AND LOGIC.

Image: Creative Commons

All About Libra: The New Moon, Relationship Energies and More

2011-09-26T20:31:00.000-04:00

We're about to enter into the New Moon in Libra on September 27th. This means that the universe is supporting us as we work to create

harmonious partnerships
balanced friendships
fair relationships of all kinds
health in areas of the body ruled by Libra, including the lower back and stomach
seeing the other person's side - even if you disagree
honoring cooperation and fair play
art or music that uplifts and creates beauty
business practices or social activism that help create balance and equality

Libra is Justice personified, but it is also Justice, ruled by the Goddess of Love. Libra's desire is to be fair and balanced, while still holding space for human connection and romance. Some astrologers see Libra as fluffy and romantic, dancing around on bubble-gum clouds, forever fashion-concious and unable to make up their minds. Not so! Joan of Arc had Libra planets and so have many famous warriors. The crux of Libra is in a perfect blend of fairness vrs. unfairness. The 7th house in the wheel of the zodiac rules Libra - romantic partners (and not merely casual lovers), enemies, and lawyers all find their home here.

Right now, we've got some fantastic and interesting Libra energy bouncing around. Not only is the New Moon in Libra for the next few days, and obviously our Sun is in Libra until October 23, but Saturn (lessons) and Mercury (thought) are also in Libra. Venus (the planet of love) is also in Libra, its natural home. Love lessons (Saturn) with a gentle twist are here right now.

Also, thanks to Uranus (the rebel planet) in Aries and Pluto (deep psychological transformation) in Capricorn, relationships and partnerships of all kinds are getting looked at under a bit of a celestial microscope - what doesn't fit - or doesn't fit right now - may drop (gently) away. However, the keywords here are "fair", "balanced", "graceful", and "diplomatic." Even relationships or unions that break up under this influence will go forward with a mutual sense of peace and harmony, with an emphasis on understanding the other's point of view. No throwing of dishes here! On the flip side, relationships that do stick under this romantic and cooperative influence are wielded through change and psychological growth.

New Perspectives

Libra energy puts the emphasis on what we can do as humans when we're in balance - with ourselves and with others in a solid partnership. The key of Libra is interdependency - what astrologer Linda Goodman once called "a perfect blend of summer and winter." How would interactions involve if you were in balance with yourself? What personal harmony and security can you bring to situations outside yourself, if you first tune yourself in? Libra promises to help us answer these questions, especially this month. We can begin to trust in ourselves and our ability to build cooperation with others in fair and balanced relationships, partnerships, marriages, and duos.

Famous Libra Energy!

1) John Lennon (born October 9th) was the lead singer of the Beatles. He merged romance (Yoko Ono) and political activism, Libra-style. Here he is, singing about a very Libran concept - karma.

2) Oscar winner Kate Winslet (Titanic, Revolutionary Road), born October 5, brings her class and intelligence to whatever role she's in.

Here she is in the trailer for Contagion (2011).

3) Jane Austen was a Sun Sagittarius but her Moon in Libra led her to create some of the world's first romantic comedies, which all focus on the ins and outs of love and partnership. Here's the trailer for 2005's Pride and Prejudice.

4) Happy Ganesh: Happy Ganesh was born on October 9, 2009, making it a Sun Libra. Happy birthday, Happy Ganesh! We love you. Thanks for writing, guiding, and connecting, and doing your groovy little Ganesh dance along the way. :-) (Here's M.C. Yogi, singing about Ganesh.)

Want more? Want a personalized reading? Want your work edited? Want original blog posts, created especially for your small business? Give us a shout at info@happyganesh.com or check out our main page at www.happyganesh.com

Want the writing blog? Pop over here to get grammar tips, blogs about the publishing industry, and more.

'Til next time.

"Libra Sign Coin -2008"Image: Armenian via Creative Commons

Full Moon in Pisces

2011-09-12T09:52:00.000-04:00

We're in the Full Moon in Pisces for the next 2.5 days. The Full Moons present a challenge for us. Whereas New Moons start a chance to manifest a new situation, Full Moons ask us if we can integrate that specific energy into our New Moon (manifestation) plan.

This Full Moon in Pisces is especially poignant because of yesterday's anniversary of 9/11. It's been ten years since the world was rocked and New York stood tall and proud. Ten years of mourning, hope, prayers, and regrowth.

Along similar lines, the Full Moon in Pisces reminds us that we must maintain an internal connection to spirituality, regardless of what its earthy, opposite sign Virgo (now in the Sun) is doing. The Virgo Sun (and the recent Virgo New Moon) shows us the opportunity to integrate ourselves with the detail-oriented, material world. The Full Moon in Pisces reminds us that no "real world" interaction is fully complete without our emotions and connection to our spirituality, our compassion, and our imagination. Whatever house Pisces falls in your chart, you may see something end only to pave the way for something new.

To celebrate the Full Moon

integrate your compassion and universal humanity into your business plan or other "earthy" endeavour
work with children or animals
ask that blocks to your compassion/humanity be removed

In Full Moons, the astrological monthly tide is going out. What elements would you like to be removed?

Til next time,
Marissa

Jupiter in Taurus goes Retrograde Today Until Christmas!

2011-08-30T14:15:00.000-04:00

Taurus the Bull (Frozen, Like Retro)

Today, Jupiter, the planet of luck and expansion in Taurus (planet of beauty, slow growth, and sensuality) goes Retrograde (backwards) until Christmas day. What does this mean for you?

First of all, Retrograde gets a bad rap. It's during Mercury in Retrograde that we're used to communication blowouts, computer explosions, and relationship/friendship confusion. It's during Venus Retro that we can expect love to sllooooow down. But really, all Retro does is put a specific planet into hibernation for a while - all the energy is there, but it's just gone for a nap.

However, here's what is nice about a Jupiter Retrograde: it's still lucky. Jupiter is the planet of luck so astounding you cannot believe it. It's Santa Claus bringing unexpected presents. It's international and/or expansive. Having a transit or natal chart planet in Jupiter is like watching that area of your life get blown up with a helium pump! Bigger, faster, more fun than ever! Jupiter is also the ruling planet of Sagittarius, one of the most spiritual, belief-oriented signs of the zodiac, so when Jupiter is in Retrograde we start to take that global spiritual perspective back into ourselves, making ourselves our own compasses.

Retrogrades ask us to please keep it a little bit quiet, to reflect, to get clear on our motivations. Maybe no big stage shows until Christmas, but it will ask you to allow the universe to slow you down a little. It's like an automatic reset -- things getting too intense? "No problem", says the universe. "We'll go into Retro." What can you watch for?

money issues from the past (Retro rules the past) in flux until Christmas
financial concerns from the past being slowly fixed behind the scenes
back up your values, stand up for your belief system within yourself
focus on internal strength and values (there's that word again!)
.....and less on the outer trappings of "luck"

Around Christmas, we'll be able to move ahead feeling financially stronger and more spiritually connected, which will be wonderful. Right now, we're being asked to replenish our own inner core with Taurus principals (money, values, belief systems). Be patient, ground into your personal values and build from the inside out. It doesn't matter who is watching.

Image: Enygmatic-Halycon

The Big Move - Reposted from Happy Ganesh Writing!

2011-08-22T22:00:00.000-04:00

(Reposted from Happy Ganesh's Writing Wonderland!)

Boy howdy, do we have big news. Do we ever!

MHC's Writing Wonderland is the writing side of my business Happy Ganesh.

On August 24, 2011, HappyGanesh.com will launch a BRAND NEW SITE, featuring fun stuff like

gorgeous new look
free videos about writing!
bookstore
a complete list of blogs and publications
a merch store and more!

Here's our new banner.

Best of all? We've got a newsletter that can give you info about both sides of Happy Ganesh - either this blog (astrology) or the second blog all about writing. (Want to get both blogs to your inbox? Sign up by email on either blog . To info about ALL things Happy Ganesh, go to the main site on 8/24 and sign up for our newsletter!

Our QR Code

We're so excited that we forgot how to punctuate correctly and started writing words IN ALL CAPS LIKE THIS. That's what happens when we totally forget ourselves.

Once again, HappyGanesh.com (the new, uber-exciting version will be up on 8/24! Yeah!)

Check it out.

Full Moon in Aquarius, Sun in Leo

2011-08-15T11:16:00.001-04:00

Posted on 08/13/2011 01:21 pm by happyganesh

Tonight, on August 13, the Full Moon in Aquarius comes to town. As always, Full Moons are indicative of some kind of completion. Any time you’re dealing with Aquarius energy, it’s like looking at a download of universal information – something is changing, something is happening, everything is shifting – with an eye toward freedom and friendship – for the better. With the Full Moon in Aquarius, we’re dealing with the power and magic of groups and community – and the unique way that those arenas are serving to nurture your Leo style (creative, flamboyant) dreams.
Do you have the larger picture of group support and true friendship (AQUARIUS FULL MOON) in place so that you can realize your dreams of creativity and dramatic self-expression (LEO NEW MOON, EARLER THIS MONTH)?
As always, the New Moon opens the cycle while the Full Moon closes it and brings it to completion. This is a great time to focus on Aquarius-style themes such as

communities
thinking about - and planning for – a transformative, freedom-loving future
your place in the unique world of social technology or the internet
friendships that offer a lot of freedom to be yourself
breaking down old ways and re-establishing new forms of living

If you have Aquarius in _________ House, You’ll Be Finding Friendship and Freedom (or Huge, Aquarius-style, Life Altering Changes For the Better!) in the Areas of ______.
1st house – Self-Love
2nd house – Money
3rd house – communication and neighbors
4th – home
5th – love/creativity/children
6th – work
7th – marriage partners and divorce partners
8th – sex/death/other people’s money
9th – travel and learning
10th – career
11th – friendship/freedom/groups
12th – secrets
Have questions? Want a personal reading? Feel free to drop a line at marissa@happyganesh.com

Grammarly.com Piece is Up!

2011-08-15T11:14:00.001-04:00

Posted on 08/09/2011 03:38 am by happyganesh

The Books and Books reading was a smashing success. More on that later, but in the meantime, here’s the fantastic ad that ran in the Books and Books flier.
http://www.moafl.org/eblast/august_2011_events.html
(It seems that Retrograde has come to the HG blog. We’re having some slight technical difficulties this week, so please copy and paste the above link into your web browser to view the ad.)
Also, a few weeks ago, the lovely folks over at Grammarly.com comissioned a blog piece about grammar in the real world. It’s up, it’s funny, and we’re darn proud of it – and plus, the Grammarly.com team are amazing, intelligent people who really believe in the power of the written word to change the world. Thanks Grammarly.com!
Check out the piece over at the writing side of Happy Ganesh.
http://mhcwritingwonderland.blogspot.com/2011/08/dating-in-grammar-free-zone.html

Mercury in Retrograde (8/2-8/26)

2011-08-15T11:08:00.002-04:00

Posted on 08/03/2011 11:44 pm by happyganesh

On this, the second day of Mercury in Retrograde Leo (and in Virgo from 8/8-8/26), communication in the areas of self love (Leo) and health (Virgo) will be coming back around. If we don’t show ourselves to ourselves, we can never be healed.
What does this mean on a deeper level? First of all, as usual, Retro requires a certain amount of patience. It’s not a good idea to run around doing any of the following:

signing paperwork
making commitments that you can’t undo later
buying large electronic items such as a car or a computer. If there’s no way around this, it’s a good idea to check the return policies, just in case.

Mercury in Retrograde has unique lessons for us, especially when the Mercury is split. In other words, we’re going to have Mercury Retrograde in picky, health-focused, type A, organized Virgo
until 8/8 and then from 8/8 to 8/26, Mercury in Retrograde will be in courageous, heart-centered Leo
. Focus on where you have those two planets. For example, if your Sun or Rising Sign is in Leo, expect your self esteem and communication to feel a little shaky (and potentially healing) until 8/8 when you can expect communication about financial concerns to take on a whole different light. People sometimes don’t mean what they say or written communications can become hazy. Be careful to clarify what you mean.
Not sure? Feel free to contact me at marissa@happyganesh.com for more details or for a full reading.

The Resurrection of the Oxford Comma

2011-07-05T21:54:00.002-04:00

Reposted from a merry little freak out over at my writing home.

The Oxford Comma - Dead, Now Alive!

The Oxford Comma is Dead.

The Oxford Comma, best known in recent years for confusing the living hell out of college students and pleasing professional writers worldwide, died on June 29, 2011 in the pages of one of the University of Oxford's style guide."

Read my article all about the happy return of the Oxford Comma here.

Jeff Brown: Union from Disharmony.

2011-07-04T00:55:00.002-04:00

Jeff Brown at Soulshaping.com is a profound and gorgeous writer. He wrote two pieces that moved me, made me ache, and really made me feel into whatever it is that teaches us about old relationship patterns - with ourselves and with lovers.

He articulates with great beauty, empathy, and intelligence, the masks, images, and divides that we create - and the extent that self-love and understanding can heal the split within. I also feel these essays are relevant, no matter what your sexual orientation is.

Apologies to the Divine Feminine (from a warrior in transition)

Apologies to the Sacred Masculine (the letter this warrior in transition would like to receive)

These are not mine. All copyrights belong to Jeff Brown at Soulshaping.com. I post his links out of gratitude and a desire to share their honesty and bravery.

Why am I moved to post them now? It could be the upcoming New Moon and Eclipse in Cancer, symbolising our own inner change in relation to nurturance and mothering - and the way the cosmos seem to be creating a gameplan to create change and new, daring foundations. It could be that the more I learn about my own disharmonies and inner unions, the more I become curious about ways to heal and/or celebrate them. And the more I become curious about the ways we can heal each other, through our own self-understanding and love.

Image: Creative Commons

Tricking the Goddess News, New Moon in Cancer and Solar Eclipse in Cancer

2011-06-29T23:14:00.002-04:00

Let's start with some news. The reading date for the forthcoming collection Tricking the Goddess, at Books and Books in Fort Lauderdale on August 4th has been changed.

The new date is Saturday, August 6th at 4 pm, still at Books and Books at the Fort Lauderdale Museum of Art!

Come on out, hear me read from Tricking the Goddess, the poems that Poet Laureate of Florida, Edmund Skellings called "powerful, both intellectually and emotionally". I'll be sharing the space with two other wonderful poets, Dr. Kristin Berkey-Abbott (I Stand Here Shredding Documents) and Shefali Chokski (Frontier Literature). And here's exciting news! Tricking the Goddess is in pre-production now and WILL be available for purchase on the day of the event! Hurrah!

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The New Moon and Solar Eclipse in Cancer

You may have already felt the gears turning as old ways of life drop away. No worries - that's just par for the course, given the fact that we're in some big changes. The energy of the Grand Cross (remember all the push-me-pull-you energy of last summer 2010?) seems to be back again, but in a slightly different format.

This year, we're working with major eclipse energy. Let's do a walk through. We're still working with several major planets in Cardinal signs (Uranus in Aries, Sun/Moon in Cancer, Saturn in Libra, Pluto in Capricorn). A Cardinal sign is a sign that is a Type A, BossyPants! These guys want their way, but will use very different methods to do so.

The Sun and Moon are going to give us a New Moon in Cancer on 7/1. (Read last year's post on the New Moon in Cancer for a refresher.) In other words, we have the Sun (our identification) in Cancer AND the Moon (intuitions and emotional needs) in Cancer as well. This - against the backdrop of Cardinal signs - still provides us with the same New Moon energy that we get every month - a time to manifest the energy of the New Moon.

Now is a prime time to start projects that relate to

nurturing
caregiving
memory and nostalgia
the Divine Feminine
family trees
family healing
family memories
the past and your roots

This is all happening - as I've said - against the backdrop of a solar eclipse.

What's an Eclipse?

Eclipses basically are the cosmic acceleration plan. Eclipses speed things up and force beginnings or endings. In other words, it's time to Deal With Stuff. Eclipses may release things we don't need. It may bring in new forces. I think of an eclipse as the eye of God closing and reopening. For a moment, things are changed - quickly, forcefully, and, frankly, are what author Geneen Roth called in her book Women, Food, and God, "AFGO...Another F**king Growth Opportunity."

So, here we have this New Moon- Cancer-style chance for new growth and new manifestation, surrounding all the Cancer-type areas I mentioned above.

Because this New Moon is hitting against the backdrop of a Solar Eclipse (a Big Deal), we can really start to make things move for ourselves. Even though there is tense energy (Pluto - the ruler of the underworld and hidden things - in cranky, old-timer Capricorn; Saturn - the planet of slow, pain in the ass lessons - in relationship oriented Libra), we have hope.

"No matter how harsh the truth (Saturn) of our situations may be, there is hope (Jupiter), healing (Chiron), and a chance for renewal where we need it most. But it will take facing our challenges (Saturn) and that may begin with ourselves (new moon)," says the amazing Astrogrrl, over at astrogrrl.com.

In other words, as things continue to move and change around us, and as the Eclipse forces us to trash the old, we are slowly, slowly building up life into what WE want, not merely being passive participants in our own lives.

How will this New Moon and Solar Eclipse affect you? Where do you have Cancer in your chart?

Let's do astrological Mad Libs:

If Cancer is in _________ House, expect to undergo a change or renewal in the area of _______.

Not sure where Cancer falls in your chart?

Go to www.astro.com or www.alabe.com for a free chart. Want more? Contact me for a full-length reading.

If you have a Sun or a Rising in Cancer, Cancer is in your 1st house. If you have a Sun in Leo, Cancer is in your 12th house. (I have a Rising in Gemini, therefore, Cancer falls in my 2nd house)

HOUSE RENEW OR CHANGE

1 Ideas of Self/Ego

2 Money or values

3 Communication or short distance travel/relationships with siblings

4 Home/Family

5 Love/Creativity/Children

6 Work

7 Partnerships/Open Enemies

8 Transformation/Sex/Death/Other People's Money

9 Education/School/Long Distance Travel

10 Career Path

11 Friends/Groups/Associations

12 Secrets/Wishes/Dreams

I wish you all only the best of changes in this potent time of amazing restructuring and change - we're all rebuilding for the future!

<3

Marissa

Image: New Moon from CreativeCommons.com

What's a Happy Ganesh? And...Happy Birthday Cancer!

2011-06-21T21:22:00.001-04:00

***If you're reading this through email, please click through to view the Youtube videos!**

We're going to explore two things in this post.
1) What's a Happy Ganesh? What do we do? We've got the answer for you below.

and 2) Happy Birthday Cancer!!!!! Scroll to the bottom to get some information and some fun youtube videos all about you and your qualities!

What is a "Happy Ganesh"?

We sometimes get this question, usually followed by "isn't a Ganesh one of those things you buy at a deli?" No, that's a knish.

Here's Who We Are

Happy Ganesh is a firm dedicated to educating and empowering people through creative writing consulting and grounded and confidential astrological and intuitive sessions. Happy Ganesh encourages and supports our 200 + clients to use both left and right sides of their brain in order to achieve joy and confidence in their lives. HG is also an active community supporter for Gilda's Club, a cancer support network, and The Harvey Milk School in New York, devoted to the safety of GLBT youth.

From writing to astrology and back again - that's who we are.
---------------------

And it's all about Cancer - because it's time to celebrate the crab.

Cancers are best known for their sensitivity, their orientation towards family and their love of music -which is in part what we're going to celebrate tonight.

1) Here's Cancer Ringo Star singing "It Don't Come Easy."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZfAik7wP8U

2) Here's Cancer Mercury Rufus Wainwright (with help from Shrek) singing "Hallelujah" - a great example of Cancer's natural spirituality.

3) Cancer Suzanne Vega got this catchy/annoying beat into everyone's head in the 90s - Here's "Tom's Diner" - all about one of Cancer's favorite things, food.

4) Cancer Sun George M. Cohan was best known as the "Yankee Doodle Dandy."

Full Moon and Lunar Eclipse on June 15!

2011-06-14T22:43:00.002-04:00

We're heading into a double set of energy -- a Full Moon and Lunar Eclipse in Sag (at 25 degrees, starting around 1:12 pm tomorrow.)

The Full Moon in Sagittarius: As always, Full Moons close out the manifestation stages opened in the New Moon in Gemini. My regular readers will remember that I often compare the New Moon to opening a cosmic door and the Full Moon to closing a door, or being active about the goals/manifestations. With a Full Moon in Sag, our sense of the larger picture may be challenged. We may not be able to see the garden for the flower - and we may have no idea how we'll get to There from Here. (The key is to listen to your heart.) Typical questions asked during this kind of Sag energy are philosophical -- as if you're being asked to walk in a strange landscape.
Lunar Eclipse in Sagittarius: Lunar energy is all about trusting your emotions (and since it's Lunar, signifigant relationships with women may end or take on a transformative nature). Ties may be cut or relationships may change, depending on where Sag hits your chart.

HOW IT AFFECTS YOU

If you have Sag in your _________ house, it's like that part being lit up with neon signs, making it very important for this time.

Astrology Mad Libs

I have Sag in my _____ house which means I'll experience possible endings and renewals around the areas of ________.

For example

I have Sagittarius in A) my 1st house, which means I'll experience possible endings and renewals in the areas of B) Self perception.

Plug in the stems below

A B

Sag in the 2nd house Money issues.

Sag in the 3rd? Communication or writing abilities.

Sag in the 4th? Home and Family

Sag in the 5th? Love and children

Sag in the 6th? Health and work

Sag in the 7th? Relationships, open enemies, and the “other” in relationships

Sag in the 8th? Sex, death, money that you inherit or receive, tax money, debt money, loan money

Sag in the 9th? Philosophy and travel

Sag in the 10th? Career path

Sag in the 11th? Friends and group associations

Sag in the 12th? Secrets and spiritual connections such as dreams. Giving your time and energy to this area of your life will align yourself more powerfully.

Til Next time,

Marissa

Photo Credit: By Jacopo Montano (Creative Commons)

Inspiration

2011-06-09T23:23:00.002-04:00

I'm sitting here listening to my friend April Claxton, CEO of The Movement Within being interviewed by Nate Klarfield about her children's book Goodnight Just the Same (listen below). It's a project that's getting a lot of attention - and one I've very excited to have edited.

Nate Klarfield Interviews my friend April Claxton on Stonewall Live about Goodnight Just the Same

I'm truly inspired right now. I've watched April grow and change throughout the two years I've known her - and this truly speaks to me. Imagine all the ways we can learn to become present - if we allow it.

I'm on the cusp of a large self-change myself. The more I am involved in this work, the more I am starting to realize that - after all - the two worlds of education and intuition are not separate. No "worlds" are separate. They are as united in the world as we are united in ourselves. Nothing is outside of us. I talked to a close friend of mine the other evening about life change. She said "I'm doing what I'm meant to do." How many of us can say that?

Can you say that? Can I?

How deeply can you own yourself? Your sexuality? Your creativity? What makes you YOU?

I own myself today. I own all sides of me and all parts of me - the parts that have worked in corporate, the parts that have worked as a medium and astrologer, and the parts of me that haven't felt united. That's my goal - to accept and not just LOVE myself - but to get excited about what I'm here to do and my life.

That's my dare for all of us this week.

Live your truth. Make it one with yourself. It is WHO YOU ARE. Dance in it. Own it. Do what you came here to do. Period.

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News and Changes

It's coming!!!!!!!! The August 4th Tricking the Goddess Poetry Reading at Books and Books in Fort Lauderdale is coming! It will be at 6 pm. Mark your calendars. Those who came out to the reading at Hollywood Vine really enjoyed it.

Also, the Goddess Initiative party from June 18 has - due to a space issue - been canceled.

The Radio Shows - both the one on The Movement Within Channel Weds at 6:30 and the one that was meant to start on the Happy Ganesh channel on Monday have (ironically! changes!) been quieted until further notice

But this blog will still offer fantastic astrological, writing and inspirational information. No matter what changes Happy Ganesh undergoes, you can rely on this blog and on the clear, astrological and intuitive readings that I continue to offer.

I'd also like to thank everyone who reads this blog, especially to my clients. Since Happy Ganesh opened in 2009, you've helped us grow and change - and you've held the space for me as much as I've held the space for you.

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Here are some questions to get you inspired.

1) What are you DOING to live your dream?

2) What are your blocks and fears around living your dream? Be specific.

3) What would you do if you were safe?

4) What would happen in your life if you were safe?

5) What is your ultimate goal in your life?

6) Be still and listen to your heart. What does it say?

All my love,

Marissa

New Moon - and Eclipse! - in Gemini

2011-06-01T01:43:00.001-04:00

[caption id="attachment_207" align="aligncenter" width="180" caption="Gemini Eclipses and New Moons! (And no Bella or Edward in sight!)"][/caption]

Well, not only is this title very reminicent of those Stephanie Meyers books (Eclipse and New Moon, thank you very much), but there's a lot going on tomorrow in astrology.

First, an announcement -- due to my own eclipse-style life changes, the radio show is suspended until further notice. However, you can always hear our radio spot on CBS Radio, every Monday night at 6 pm!

We've got a New Moon and an Eclipse coming our way! The New Moon in Gemini will bring us a new chance to manifest. As always, a New Moon is when we've got a Sun in Gemini and a Moon in Gemini. New Moons open the door for the month and for possiblities for creation. We're being asked to create Gemini energy and we'll have specific luck in any of the following Gemini themed areas

writing

double lives (or two parts of your personality coming together)

curiosity

learning

short distance travel

intelligence

teaching

humor

areas around healing with words

healing your hands - or being gentle with your hands (Gemini rules hands)

healing any doubts you may have about your communication skills

And - here's the biggie - this New Moon is also happening on the same night as a major solar eclipse in Gemini. Wherever you have Gemini in your chart is where you're going to feel fantastic changes starting to move your life. Eclipses are RAW POWER, baby. They change things and shake it up. Here's what else is going on. With Gemini in both Sun and Moon we're being guided throughout this process to see and feel clearly around issues that are Gemini in nature (social, writing, travel). We're also trine to Saturn in Libra, which says to me that we're going to actually get some help from the places we've been limited in the past. It is also sextile (friendly next door neighbors) to Uranus in Aries, the planet of change. Eclipses are a very, very big deal. They close doors and then open windows - they give us massive changes into new ways of life.

Another one of my favorite web astrologers, astrogrrl had this to say: "How has 2011 been for you so far? How much of it is what might have planned or expected? What of it are complete surprises or interesting turn of events?"

Here's some astrology Mad Libs for this one. If you want to get a free chart, go to astrolabe.com or astro.com. If you'd like to contact me for a personal reading, go here. I'm at your service.

Here's your Astrological Mad Libs:

For the New Moon and Eclipse in Gemini, I will feel a renewal (New Moon) and big shift (Eclipse) in the areas of.......

Gemini 1st house? Self perception

Gemini in the 2nd house? Money issues.

Gemini in the 3rd? Communication or writing abilities.

Gemini in the 4th? Home and Family

Gemini in the 5th? Love and children

Gemini in the 6th? Health and work

Gemini in the 7th? Relationships, open enemies, and the "other" in relationships

Gemini in the 8th? Sex, death, money that you inherit or receive, tax money, debt money, loan money

Gemini in the 9th? Philosophy and travel

Gemini in the 10th? Career path

Gemini in the 11th? Friends and group associations

Gemini in the 12th? Secrets and spiritual connections such as dreams

No matter where the eclipse falls in your chart, expect changes of a transformative nature.

The Goddess Celebration: June 18 at RAD WELLNESS!

2011-05-24T16:37:00.001-04:00

[caption id="attachment_211" align="aligncenter" width="210" caption="Embrace the Goddess Within on JUNE 18!"][/caption]

Great news! Jessica Hollen of the women-positive The Goddess Initiative and Marissa Cohen of Happy Ganesh will join forces in a spectacular, one-night-only event JUNE 18, 8 pm, at RAD WELLNESS CENTER in Sunrise Florida! Come and dance with us FOR FREE and join our celebration of all things feminine, powerful and creative. How many of us out there are mothers, leaders, teachers, friends, daughters, lovers? Think of all the roles we take on. It's time to celebrate the deep, knowing voice within.

That's the Divine Feminine and we deserve to take a little time and celebrate our creative, powerful and earth-moving energy.

The theme this year is Water, so dress in the colors of the ocean, channel your inner water goddess, sea nymph or mermaid and come out to help us celebrate the divinity within you!

Marissa is excited to come out and lend her services to this fantastic event -- because there is nothing more empowering than helping people to claim their creative and intuitive power. Psychic Cynthia Segal will also share the stage in this FREE event dedicated to claiming your individual, juicy, creative, fabulous, follow-your-inner-voice power!

(It kind of makes you want to dance, doesn't it?)

There'll be

a preview of Marissa's upcoming book "Tricking the Goddess"

dancing

meeting other fantastic goddesses of all ages

games to build your creative and intuitive self

and much more...!

To learn more about the event, please RSVP on Facebook!

Happy Birthday, Gemini! "Together, Let's Explore the Stars."

2011-05-22T23:21:00.001-04:00

[caption id="attachment_207" align="aligncenter" width="150" caption="Happy Birthday, Gemini!"][/caption]Note: If you're reading this through email, please click through to the blog to experience the YouTube videos!

This blog is going to go a little quieter for the next few weeks (big changes at the home front), but I'll still update as much as I can.

In the meantime, Happy Birthday Gemini! Geminis are witty, clever, and fantastic with words. If you've got a Gemini Sun Sign or a Gemini Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, or Rising Sign (and if you're not sure, go to www.astro.com to check for free), that means that somewhere inside you, you contain a writer, a reporter, or a news anchor. My sources tell me that Lois Lane of Superman was a Gemini type.

Astrological guru and author of the classics Sun Signs and Love Signs, Linda Goodman said about Geminis "They are sharply satirical and they're more clever than just about anybody. Some Mercury types delight in disconcerting slower minds with their lightening fast mental processes."

From Tomb Raiders to presidents, there's quite a round up of writers, charmers, and quick-thinkers in this sign.

1) Wordy Gemini

From song-lyrics to heartfelt poems, Gemini types cut their teeth on words.

Judy Garland, a Gemini Sun, got under our skin with this classic song.

Other wordy wits?

The lyrics of Bob Dylan defined a generation in songs like the classic "The Times They Are a Changin'".

...and Gemini singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile covered it.

2) Charming and Impish Gemini

The iconic Marilyn Monroe made this showstopper famous

...and Gemini Nicole Kidman covered it in 2001's Moulin Rouge!

3) Versatile Gemini. Do you have a double-life like the average superhero? Gemini Angelina Jolie has made a career out of playing changeable heroines, as seen in this trailer from 2010's Salt.

4) Smartie-Pants Gemini

Sherlock Holmes author Sir Conan Doyle had a Gemini Sun, and the brainiac Gemini imprint can be seen all over his most famous character.

5) Political Gemini

Geminis have a way with words and a natural charm that helps to sway the public. It's no surprise that a lot of Geminis wind up in public life. Here's JFK encouraging the American people.

"Together, let us explore the stars." I think that's fitting for an astrology blog. ;-)

Want more? Contact me for an astrological or mediumship reading or purchase right from the site.

Happy birthday, Gemini!

Image: Cliff1066

CBS Spots and Two HG Radio Shows!

2011-05-15T22:06:00.001-04:00

[caption id="attachment_179" align="aligncenter" width="150" caption="The Happy Ganesh Radio Spot is UP on CBS RADIO!"][/caption]

The culmination of weeks of hard work is finally ready.

The official Happy Ganesh Radio Spot can be heard on April Claxton's CBS Radio show The Movement Within, Mondays at 6 pm.

*** To hear the CBS Spot, go to about 18 minutes, 7 seconds in.***

Amazing! A special thanks to April Claxton - who interviews Jillian Maas Backman author of Beyond the Pews on this episode. As always, Claxton is fantastic - and the interview with Mass Backman is very interesting!

Speaking of interesting, we've got TWO radio shows coming up!

1) The Happy Ganesh Show: Starting Wednesday May 18th, The Happy Ganesh Show on blogtalkradio.com's will air on The Movement Within channel. We'll talk about our two passions - astrology and writing/publishing! Get your astrology/intuitive and creative writing/publishing questions ready for the question portion of the show! Please keep your questions brief as time will be limited.

2) Happy Ganesh Writing and Homework Help on the Happy Ganesh BlogtalkRadio Channel: Starting June 5th, Mondays at 5 pm, join me for homework and writing help! This show will be on the Happy Ganesh Blogtalk Channel! Follow us! I'm a professional educator, writer, and editor, and I've worked in higher education for over a decade. I'll answer questions about APA and MLA style, grammar questions, and college level test prep! This show is geared to both writers and students from middle school age to the doctorate level. Need to know what a comma does? How do you start your paper? What constitutes plagiarism in a research paper? I'll answer these questions for free on air, starting Mondays, June 5th!

I am grateful to you, the loyal clients and friends who read Happy Ganesh on a regular basis. It is because of you - your willingness to go deeper within your own nature, and your commitment to yourself through exploring writing or intuitive services - that inspires me to deepen my own faith in the universe.

Til next time,

Marissa

Writing Wednesdays (late): The Poetry Reading

2011-05-12T01:27:00.001-04:00

[caption id="attachment_203" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Tricking the Goddess "][/caption]

Tonight, I read from my soon-to-be-published poetry collection, Tricking the Goddess. I was joined by two other delightful poets, my good friend Dr. Kristin Berkey-Abbott (author of Whistling Past the Graveyard and I Stand Here Shredding Documents) and Shefali Chokski (Frontier Literature).

For those who could not make it out tonight, we'll be reading at Books and Books at the Fort Lauderdale Museum of Art on August 4th at 6 pm.

[caption id="attachment_202" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Reading from Tricking the Goddess"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_201" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Hollywood Vine (and me)"][/caption]

There's something amazingly rewarding about reading your own work to a crowd of appreciative people.

Tricking the Goddess is on the hunt for a publisher before the August date! When it is due out, I'll post here about it. :)

Here's text from the promo flier, including some blurbs from Edmund Skellings, the Poet Laureate of Florida and Dr. Berkey-Abbott.

About Marissa Cohen and Tricking the Goddess

“[Cohen’s work is] powerful, both intellectually and emotionally.”

– Edmund Skellings, Poet Laureate of Florida

“The reader may feel some guilt, because Cohen's poems are so imaginative, such an enjoyable treat, even in the face of such sadness. It's a comfort to know that we have Cohen's poems as a guide to navigating the unfamiliar terrain [of loss].”

-- Kristin Berkey-Abbott, author of I Stand Here Shredding Documents and Whistling Past the Graveyard

In Tricking the Goddess, Cohen writes with dark humor and vulnerability about the aftermath of her mother’s death. In her new life, spirits unexpectedly speak and old friends help her find faith. What will it take to return from “Cancerland”? Cohen explores themes of loss, change, and empowerment in this soon-to-be-published collection.

Marissa Cohen uses her fiction, poetry, and nonfiction to explore women’s creative and spiritual experiences. In 2003, she received the Letters Honorarium from the National League of American Pen Women. She has worked for numerous publications, including the award-winning Bella Books, the Sun-Sentinel, and the Palm Beach Arts Paper. She also regularly contributes to She Magazine with her book review column “On the Shelves.” Also a professional astrologer and intuitive, Cohen is the president and founder of HappyGanesh.com, where she regularly writes about astrology and the transformative power of creative writing. She lives in Florida. For more information about Marissa, please visit www.happyganesh.com

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I'm off to dream of books.

Til next time,

M

Mars in Taurus (and CBS Radio Goodness!)

2011-05-09T21:01:00.001-04:00

[caption id="attachment_199" align="aligncenter" width="247" caption="HG's poetry reading -- and a Mars in Taurus are on the way! (The talented Nick Moore over at Clayfootjones.com created this of Ganesh reading a book.)"][/caption]

What with the working on the upcoming poetry reading at Hollywood Vine (5/11, 7 pm) and the upcoming radio show on Blogtalkradio.com (5/18, 6:30 pm), things have been hopping. That's right -- the live Happy Ganesh Blogtalk Show will air May 18 at 6:30 pm on blogtalkradio.com! Get your questions ready! We'll be taking live, on-air questions about publishing, writing, astrology, or intuitive services. Wondering where to go from here in your book -- or in life? Give us a shout during the May 18 kickoff!

Plus, our CBS RADIO SPOT RAN TONIGHT on April Claxton's The Movement Within on over at CBS The Sky Radio. I'll be posting the commercial by itself shortly, but in the meantime, do listen to April's fantastic show. Tonight she interviewed radio personality and author of Beyond the Pews, Jillian Maas Backman.

Mars in Taurus

And we're looking at a Mars in Taurus this week. On May 11, Mars, the planet of motivation and life force moves from direct, passionate Aries into slow, steady Taurus. The things begun quickly with Mars in Aries will have time to grow and florish under the grounding influence of Taurus Taurus grounds. Taurus takes its dear sweet time to get moving - and Taurus plans every step. This is a month long transit.

People will major planets in Taurus (Taurus Sun, Taurus Rising) will feel especially motivated (but in a secure and grounded way).

Where does this hit you and how does it affect your personal chart?

Taurus: If you have Taurus in your 1st house (Taurus Sun or Taurus Rising), expect this next month's Mars in Taurus to make you more confident or get you going. A transiting Mars (Taurus) plugging into your Taurus 1st house lights you up like Times Square.

Aries: Taurus is in your 2nd house of money and finances. This Mars in Taurus transit brings action and movement to your second house. This is a great time to move ahead with money negotiations or to apply for a job, or do anything to increase your financial power.

Pisces: Taurus is in your 3rd house of communication. Blaze a Taurus style trail for the next month. Transiting Mars Taurus will set up shop in this part of your chart for the next month. Begone, writer's block!

Aquarius: Taurus is in your 4th house of home. The transiting Taurus Mars will bring movement - and perhaps some disagreement to your 4th house of home and family.

Capricorn: Taurus is in your 5th house of love and creativity. Yum. Blazing a Taurus-style trail in your creative or romantic love. Relationships with artistic children may surface during this time.

Sagittarius: Taurus is in your 6th house of work. The Mars Taurus transit will blaze and move you through your career.

Scorpio: Taurus in the 7th house of partnerships and open enemies? Hot partnerships (stable ones too, thanks to Taurus) making themselves known, perhaps partnerships that can help you to be financially stable as well. However, watch out for some fighting about money with the "others" in your life.

Libra: Taurus falls in the 8th house of sex, death, and other people's money. A transiting Taurus Mars falling into your 8th house may entwine sex and death and loans with swift movement.

Virgo: Taurus in the 9th house of travel and school brings movement and new growth to educational issues.

Leo: Taurus in your 10th house of career will interact with this Mars Transit by speeding up things to do with your career path. This is a great time to get your career moving because Mars energy will link up with your 10th house.

Cancer: Taurus in your 11th house of friendship and groups will interact with this Mars Transit by producing some blazing good times with good friends.

Gemini: Taurus in your 12th house of secrets and dreams will interact with this transiting Mars in Taurus by, frankly, taking a little bit of a snooze. The 12th house always holds secrets and things held back from your subconcious, so with a transiting Mars sitting in your 12th house, it may feel like an explosion of information or learning secrets that you didn't know were lurking. The good news? You'll be able to use all that to your advantage when Mars moves into Gemini in about a month.

Remember, this is only one slice of the current astrological pie. Do you want to know how the rest of your chart works with this transit? Do you want to book an astrology or intuitive session? How about a creative consulting or editing session?

If you want to read what others have thought about a Happy Ganesh reading, see the rave reviews here.

Or have questions? Contact me. I'd love to help out.

Til next time,

M

Writing Wednesdays: Inner Love and Walking in Faith

2011-05-04T13:31:00.001-04:00

Writing can be a tool to reach deep inside yourself and bring small, dark hidden things to light. It's one of our greatest gifts as people to be able to bring ourselves healing, even if it often seems that the only "healing" can come from outside - from parents, from romantic partners, from friends, even from mediums, pastors, rabbis, or from the spiritual world.

The truth is that while the people in our world can help us, love us, support us, and hold us, our comfort and self love comes from exactly there - ourselves!

But how do we strike up a conversation with the weirdest, darkest, most hurt parts of ourselves? We talk to those parts. We hold them. We ask for help again and again, hopefully knowing that we are always walking with something larger that holds us.

Here's a list of questions to get you writing and thinking along these lines.

1) What do I need right now?

2) Do I feel supported within myself?

3) Do I feel supported within my close personal relationships?

4) If I don't, can I take responsibility for my own fears?

5) Can I see my own goodness? What does it look like?

6) Can I hold the parts of me that feel "dark" -- the parts that get angry, mad, hurt, ashamed. What do I do with those lonely parts? Do I hold them? Do I pretend they aren't happening? Do I push myself through my feelings and "try" to be "more spiritual?"

7) Just for today, just for this minute, how would it feel to unconditionally accept myself? The big parts, the small parts, all of the parts?

8) Set out tea and cookies for the small scared parts or the furious angry parts. What does this part look like? Does he or she have a name? How does he or she feel? Can I let this part of you simply have the floor?

8) What kind of space do you yearn to create? What kind of relationship with yourself?

9) What is your intention for the rest of your day?

10) What kind of hope and longing do you intend to fulfill tomorrow?

:)

May you have long and deep conversations with all parts of yourself.

A reminder: The Happy Ganesh Radio Show begins on blogtalkradio.com at 5/18 at 6:30 pm! Also, my schedule is starting to book up but I still have some spaces for phone sessions. I'd love to devote time to you. If you're interested in experiencing a reading or have questions, contact me here. Curious about what others have said? Go here, to read our testimonials.

Here's what a recent client had to say: "I was amazed that you could give me specific dates for things that would come up in my life. You gave me a sense of calmness that will keep me on track." - H.M., South Florida.

Til next time,

Marissa

New Moon in Taurus

2011-04-30T11:33:00.001-04:00

[caption id="attachment_48" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="New Moon in Taurus on May 2/3"][/caption]

It's been a quiet week at the HG blog but today we are back to make up for the lost days during the week.

We're going to head into our New Moon in Taurus on May 2/3. As always, the New Moon brings us chances to manifest new starts in the month and will only last about 2.5 days. With a New Moon in Taurus, we can create positive change around the following issues and questions.

money

values

self worth and self esteem

the connection between money and abundance in your life

What does abundance mean to you?

What are your personal values?

feelings around femininity and beauty

creating beauty around you

getting involved in some kind of an artistic project that brings value or meaning to you.

property or real estate - and their personal meaning for you

Take advantage of this powerful 2 day burst of energy. Want more? Consider a personal reading.

And remember to get your questions ready for the Happy Ganesh blogtalkradio.com show on May 18th!

Til next time,

Marissa

Happy Easter (and a late Happy Passover!) to All Those Who Celebrate!

2011-04-24T01:48:00.001-04:00

**More YoutubeGoodness. If you're viewing this in an email, please click through to the blog.)

Dear friends,

Let Snoopy do his happy dance.

Happy Easter to those who celebrate it.

Happy Passover to those who celebrate it --- a little late on that one!

Happy holidays from HG.

Love
Marissa

Weekend Update: "Happy Ganesh" Coming to Blogtalk!

2011-04-24T01:16:00.001-04:00

***This article contains Youtube videos! If you're reading this in an email, please click through to the blog to experience the videos!***

[caption id="attachment_191" align="aligncenter" width="150" caption="On 5/18, Happy Ganesh Radio Comes to Blogtalk for the World's First Radio Show All About Astrology - and Writing/Publishing!"][/caption]

Starting Wednesday May 18, 2011 at 6:30 pm, Happy Ganesh comes to Blogtalk Radio! This is the first show on the web to merge the worlds of astrology AND publishing/writing. Love astrology and want to write? Already a writer and curious about astrology? Just plain love both?

Join me for a solid hour as we talk about what's happening astrologically (and intuitively), and what's happening in the publishing world! We'll take questions by email or live in the Blogtalk chat room for the astrology portion of the show! From astrology to writing and back again, join us on Wednesday, May 18th!

The HG Radio show will focus on

weekly astrological themes

live audience questions from the chatroom -- about either astrology, intuitive answers, or publishing. This means that I'll answer any question that you have for free.

writing and how to create

publishing and what's up in the publishing world

Expect live interviews with writers and publishers -- and astrologers and intuitives!

AND --- remember that we're also sponsoring The Movement Within on CBS's The Sky Radio on 5/2 at 6 pm!!

Orson Welles Was on The Radio, Too

All this radio talk reminds me of the classic 1938 Halloween "H.G. Wells/War of the Worlds" Broadcast by Hollywood writer, director producer and genius Orson Welles, when Welles and his Mercury Theater company accidentally convinced the entire country that we were being attacked by aliens from another planet. America didn't realize that they were listening to a radio broadcast based on a classic sci-fi novel, and Welles vastly underestimated the potential hilariousness of the situation.

Of course this would never fly today - like Orson's alien spaceships! Oh, we'll be here all week! Since this was before Youtube, major newspapers in the country reported that we were being attacked by aliens. Yes, really. I mean, major newspapers. ( Think about that.)

[caption id="attachment_192" align="aligncenter" width="150" caption="One Giant Leap for a Sci-Fi Classic, One Hilarious, Anxiety-inducing Panic Attack for America."][/caption]

In the pre-social-networking era of the 30s, Welles single-handedly had the entire country in an uproar and actually had to hold a press conference to, um, let Americas know that we were not about to be killed by an intergalactic war.

The whole point of this little historical tidbit was to promise that Happy Ganesh is not responsible for any similar confusion and will do our best to avoid accidentally creating a national incident. ;-)

However, here's Orson, accidentally making broadcasting history and inciting the country to have a massive, massive panic attack.

Happy weekend (and Happy Easter!) all.

- M

Fun Fridays: Happy Birthday Taurus!!

2011-04-21T06:58:00.001-04:00

Countdown to the Happy Ganesh CBS RADIO Spot: We proudly sponsor The Movement Radio (starting 5/2, 6 pm, The Sky Radio) Countdown?: 14 days.

Note: This post has YouTube videos in it! If you're reading this from an email, please click through to the blog to experience the Youtube videos

Happy birthday, Taurus!

You're loyal. You love creature comforts. And nothing blisses you out more than a trip to the spa or curling up in the recliner. You give stubborn a new name. But no one understands more about money - how to spend it or save it - and the connection between values and cash.

Here's some Taurus traits and some famous Taurus Sun Signs who exhibited them. (And if you know you have planets in Taurus, celebrate your Taurus side!)

1) Stubborn and Romantic

Shakespeare (April 23, 1564): While his several Gemini planets gave him the undisbuted gift of poetry that would make him a legend, his Taurus sun would have made him a stubborn romantic with a gift for making money.

Here's Joseph Fiennes playing Mr. Shakespeare in the 1998 film, Shakespeare in Love.

2) Love for music.

There's a funny connection to Taurus and the arts. Taurus (and Libra) are both ruled by Venus, making them artistically talented. Here's two very different Taurus women. Cher and Enya, singing their hearts out.

Here's classic 70s Cher, singing "Gypsys, Tramps and Thieves." (Let's just focus on the genius that is Cher and ignore the yellow fringe, shall we?)

Here's Enya. Her melodic, atmospheric music totally works with the sensuousness of Taurus energy.
Here, she's singing "Only Time."

3) The Long Haul

Taurus ruled people also are in it for the long haul. They don't spook easily and they don't give up. They just don't go away.

For example, Shirley Temple was a child star known for her adorable ways and riot of curls (hello, young Taurus). However, when she was much older, she harnessed a fine business sense. Wiki said about her "She sat on the boards of many corporations and organizations including The Walt Disney Company, Del Monte Foods, and the National Wildlife Federation."

There's that connection between money and values. To me, this is one slice of a classic Taurus journey - from dimpled beauty to a major powerhouse of money and values.

Here's Ms. Temple at the age of four in The Little Colonel, changing the values of 1930s America very slowly. Shirley Temple broke the color barrier when she danced with legend Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, making them the first interracial dancing couple in American history. According to the IMDB, "this scene was cut when the film played in the southern United States."

Classic Taurus - forcing people to take a look at their values - in this case, a four year old girl helping to tear down racism.

Happy birthday Taurus.

Until Monday,
Marissa

Writing Wednesdays: Three Common Writing Myths - and What to Do About Them

2011-04-19T23:33:00.001-04:00

[caption id="attachment_30" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="Gazing into the world of words. Where to start?"][/caption]

Here's three common writing myths. Call them myths or call them fears, sometimes they stop us dead in our tracks.

Some of my favorite writing quotes to keep us inspired during the last few days of Retrograde. Did anyone's computer blow up yet? No? Good. Let's keep creating!

Did you miss my last writing post on how to keep going when you just want to strangle your muse? No? Go here. And that's the thing about writing. As Colette said, "Writing creates more writing." In other words, the more you do, the more you want to do.

Writing is like jogging. You swear you'll run again. You really will.

But at 6 am, things are blurry and the outside world is dark and overrated.

But if you can crawl over the prone body of your dog/cat/partner/husband/wife and pull on your shoes and actually get outside in the first place, you're halfway there. 90% of starting is showing up.

Writing is the same. You swear you're a writer. You are. Really. And can I tell you about my story? It's amazing! But the world will never know it if you have it locked inside your head. Just like you'll never be a jogger if you sit on the couch day in and day out, watching Oprah. (Nothing against Oprah. She does wonders for the soul. Her book clubs are great. But no one ever lost weight watching Oprah. No one ever wrote a book watching her, either.)

Here's the thing.

If you want to write you have to

WRITE.

Period. The End.

Three Common Writer's Excuses

1) "I don't have the time. I have kids. I have a job. I have a family."

You drive your kids to softball games that take hours. You go food shopping for your family. I understand. I know, I know. It's a lot. And it's so easy to look at all those words on all those pages and just whine "But look at all of this! And I bet this writer is famous! That's why they have the time!"

Here's the thing. No one starts out famous. Most writers either have day jobs unless you're Stephen King, and even the famous ones have kids. For them, writing is a job. And one day, we'll be there. But for now, consider this.

* You're worth five minutes a day, right? Five minutes. 300 seconds. In five minutes, write whatever comes into your head. Write it anywhere. On a napkin. Inside a small notebook. Anything. This small act will help you get to know yourself. At the end of a month, you will have about 150 minutes worth of writing. Discover your soul and your mind. Write.

2) I don't know enough grammar. I was terrible in my english classes.

Worry about grammar later after your month of daily, five minute writing sessions is up. For now? Just begin. Please. Some of the most amazing writers I've known have been students I met when I taught college level prep classes. My students knew nothing about grammar but they knew how to express themselves. And that's where you begin. Expression.

3) Every writing teacher I ever had said that I should not write how I talk. That's the only way I know!

Then write like YOU write.I have news. Sometimes, teachers lie a little. Some of the best literature comes from directness. Hemmingway wrote short, direct sentences. ("The dog walked down the street.") That's it.

See above. You sit your butt in the computer chair and you don't move a muscle until you have five minutes worth of writing. Just go. Run. Just begin.

Here's some quotes to get you moving.

And if you're not a writer, these wonderful quotes apply to any creative project. We look to others to learn, to follow, to understand. To see how to move along on our own path. To learn how to let go. Here are some of the most inspiring quotes I know. Enjoy, friends.

First, let's start with the Man. Ray Bradbury is currently pushing 100. He's still a one-man powerhouse who started writing in the 50s and never stopped. Best known for Fahrenheit 451, about a totalitarian society in which books are burned (and if you're caught with one, you go to jail), he's also known for Something Wicked This Way Comes, about two childhood friends and a haunted carnival. Most of all, Ray has a ZEST and PASSION for writing that makes me want to sing, dance, and scribble long into the night. All of his below quotes are from the fabulous Zen in the Art of Writing.

The Ray Bradbury Quotes

When honest love speaks, when true admiration begins, when excitement rises, when hate curls like smoke, you need never doubt that creativity will stay with you for a lifetime - Ray Bradbury from Zen in the Art of Writing

Time is there. Love is there. Story is there.

If you are writing without zest, without love, without gusto, you are only half a writer.

-----

Here's some other great ones.

There is more than enough! - Unknown

Magic Happens -- Unknown

Energy rightly applied and directed can accomplish anything - Nellie Bly

Like the moon, come out from behind the clouds. Shine. - Buddha

At times, it is necessary to go over the top. How else can we get to the other side? - Kobi Yamada

I am here to live out loud. - Emile Zola

You can't lead a calvary charge if you think you look funny on a horse. - John Peers

---

Happy writing. Enjoy the time connecting.

Magical Mondays: "Tricking the Goddess" in Poetry on the Vine; The Last Blog

2011-04-18T23:18:00.001-04:00

[caption id="attachment_184" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Poetry on the Vine with "Tricking the Goddess"!"][/caption]

Because this is magical. Because women getting together to express their creativity is something to celebrate! Here's some promo posters and write-ups for Poetry on the Vine, a one-night event where I'll be reading selections from my forthcoming book Tricking the Goddess. If you're in the area, come on out!

Poetry On The Vine: Three Uncommon Varietals

Kristin Berkey-Abbott Shefali Choksi Marissa Cohen

Kristin Berkey-Abbott reads from her works: Whistling Past the Graveyard (pudding house – 2004) and I Stand Here Shredding Documents (Forthcoming from Finishing Line Press).

Shefali Choksi reads from her Recently published work, Frontier Literature

Marissa Cohen reads from her forthcoming collection, Tricking the Goddess.

Hollywood Vine

2035 Harrison Street

Hollywood, Florida 33020

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Also, here's a local write up.

Kristin Berkey-Abbott, Shefali Choksi, and Marissa Cohen: Dr. Kristin Berkey-Abbott reads from her latest I Stand Here Shredding Documents, Dr. Shefali Choksi shares pieces from Frontier Literature and Marissa Cohen reads from her forthcoming debut collection Tricking the Goddess. Berkey-Abbott and Choksi teach at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. Cohen is the founder of HappyGanesh.com. 7 pm. Hollywood Vine, Hollywood. Call 954-922-2910 or visit www.hvine.com.

------------------------------------------

Also, last Friday was my very last co-host gig for Bob's Blazing Tarot Blog. This was a hard decision for me to move on, but its been a wonderful year and a half that I've sat with Bob Decker for ten minutes every Friday, talking about tarot cards and astrology. He's truly one of the best hypnotherapists that I know and a wonderful reader. To learn more about Bob, click here.

All good things must come to an end. Here's our last blog.

Photo Credit: Quixote206

Fun Fridays: More like a Full Moon in Libra Friday.

2011-04-15T00:38:00.001-04:00

[caption id="attachment_69" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Full Moon in Libra on 4/17"][/caption]

What's a New Moon? What's a Full Moon?

The Full Moon closes out the energy of the month and asks us if we have what it takes, where as New Moon energy (always at the start of the month) opens the energy and give us a chance to manifest.

Right now, the Full Moon will be going into Libra on April 17. Our New Moon opened the month in Aries. Our last New Moon was in Aries, encouraging us to manifest Aries skills: aggression, bravery, independence (though other factors may have encouraged us to wait on it).

See below. The key words are in black.

ARIES Sun INTENDS to bring bravery and assertiveness to situations.

Aries New Moon (earlier this month) longed to MANIFEST these qualities.

Libra (Full) Moon longs to bring relationship skills and diplomacy to CONCLUDE a situation.

As I wrote in a previous post, “Full Moons provide the template for these wishes and dreams. Full Moons dare us to see if we reaaally have the guts and the power to make good on our manifestations. They give us support.”

Now, the Full Moon in Libra(4/17) asks us if we’re able to balance the scales enough (Libra traits) to manifest our strength and independence (Aries Sun traits).

Creating a balance between Aries/Libra elements is important in the next 2.5 days. This may mean that fueled by the several major planets in Aries currently, we have a chance to go back into or rebuild an existing relationship, but thanks to all the Aries energy, we're reminded to not give up ourselves. Also, Aries gives us a wonderful new power - a reminder that we are truly recreating from the ground up. Aries is about new growth, so we can maniest new situations in relationships.

As one of my all time favorite astrologers Molly Hall of About.com said:

"The Libra Full Moon in ordinary times might be one to celebrate all things artful and harmonious. It's a peak when the instinct to balance out relationships is strong. But this is also an extraordinary time of choice. We can re-create the old dramas, but with dangerous intensity. Or we can choose to see the blank canvas, and our freedom to draw forth new possibilities."

So well said, Molly.

What a powerful idea - and I think that notion of deciding to recreate or create the old dramas, or allowing yourself to rebuild is a perfect example of the transformative power of our human process. Because of all the Aries energy that is around (Sun, Mercury, Uranus) we're going to want to change and change now. It's raw and it's fast and this energy can leave us aching to go into the New and Unknown. Use the power of this Full Moon in Libra to manifest and move forward, egged on by all the Aries planets. (Also, of course, remember that Mercury in Retro is still in effect, so any communication may be wrinkly until two weeks after April 23, the final date of Retrograde.

ASTRO HINT: If you know your chart, find where Aries falls in your chart. If your rising/ascendent sign is in Gemini, Aries will be in your 11th house of friends. Also find where Libra falls naturally in your chart. If, for example, your rising sign is Gemini, Libra will fall in your 5th house of love and children. How will you be impacted by the Sun in Aries/Full Moon in Libra opposition? Look to your chart.

Want to book a personal reading? Contact me here.

Have a great weekend!

- M

Writing Wednesdays (a day late!): How To Keep Going Once You've Begun

2011-04-14T10:40:00.001-04:00

[caption id="attachment_152" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="You get to here (published books) by figuring out how to unblock your pen."][/caption]

We missed our Monday and Wednesday post due to some schedule conflicts (heat exhaustion... and the official creation of the CBS RADIO SPOT!) but no worries. My body temperature is back to normal. I've created a radio spot. The day was a success.

All is fine and we're back. And now on to our regularly scheduled, if somewhat late post.

How to Keep Writing Once You've Begun

You're stuck. There's no getting around it.

Your novel/essay/research paper has jelled into a ball. It was flowing and going. And now? It's stopped. Panic sets in.

Similar to Elizabeth Kubler Ross's grief stages, we've got the writing stages.

Stage One: Excitement: You wake up, your heart pounding. Every idea seems golden and will make you a mint (or give you an A).

Stage Two: Creative Flow: You've been pounding away at your computer or scribbling away in your notebook. It's all moving at an amazing pace. Ideas are flowing from your pen.

Stage Three: The Roadblock: We all hit it. This is the part where your character or plot just winds down. You planned for Little Jane or Johnny to walk to the right. He or she goes to the left. You try a little harder for your character to do what you want. Your book (or paper) rebels. Everything digs its feet into the mud.

Here's where we come in.

How do you get out of Stage 3?

Here's a list of time honored Writing Block Breakers

Step away from the computer screen: Sometimes staring anxiously into the monitor just creates more panic. All those words. You're wasting time. Deadline is approaching! Go for a walk. Take twenty minutes and focus on the feeling of your body moving. Relax. Usually, once you've helped your body to relax, your mind will follow suit and you can return to your desk with a fresh perspective.

Stretch: Never underestimate the power of movement. Stand up, plant your bare feet and lift your hands above your head. Breathe. Repeat five times. Sit back down.

Believe. There is no substitute for straight-up belief. As we talked about here, no one else will take over your body and believe for you. You must believe all on your own. But, I'm here to help with inspiration (for the post on YAWP and self-belief, go here)

Still blocked? Then contact us and set up a writing consultant appointment.

Fun Fridays: CBS RADIO and "Tricking the Goddess" Poetry Book

2011-04-07T23:52:00.001-04:00

[caption id="attachment_179" align="aligncenter" width="150" caption="HG is a Proud Sponsor of The Movement Within Radio on CBS RADIO! Hear the HG Radio Spot on CBS, starting May 2"][/caption]

Happy Ganesh is now a proud sponsor of The Movement Within Radio Show on CBS Radio!

Here's what that means for us: HG is now going to have a radio spot that will be heard during The Movement Within Radio Show, starting May 2, Monday Nights at 6 pm on CBS Radio ...AND will stream live on AOL Radio, Yahoo Radio, and on actual HD radio stations in Seattle, Boston, and Detroit.

Here's what that means for YOU

more services

more great seminars and one-on-one classes

the creation of a Happy Ganesh bookstore

and much much more!

We're very excited!! And a huge congrats to our good friend April Claxton who has worked her tail off on the creation of this show. We're so proud to be a sponsor.

Tricking the Goddess Hits Shelves in May

Plus, the first of two books is coming out in May 2011! My first poetry collection, Tricking the Goddess, hits stores in May, to correspond with the CBS Radio spots! Several years ago, I lost my mother to cancer and thought my life was over. But life is never over and just when my old life ended, I found myself in the middle of an amazing fresh start, from the darkness and into the light. You'll be able to buy it on amazon.com or right here.

But What About "Creative Astrology"? Wasn't That The First Book?

It's coming. Due to some scheduling changes, it looks like the release of "Creative Astrology" will be pushed back a little bit. No worries, though. It's not going anywhere, and we're in a Retrograde, so all good things will come after that, surely. ;-)

Happy Ganesh's Radio Show

Annnnnd.....we're going to have our own radio show. We'll begin sometime in April on blogtalkradio.com and for free, you'll get a full hour of

astrological happenings

writing how tos

author interviews

author readings

what astrology means for you, including call ins

and much, much more!

THANK YOU!

Thank you for being with us! You're the reason we do this at all - because there are people out there who care about Happy Ganesh's twin passions - astrology and books/literature. Because you have a curious and seeking heart and because you want to learn about your world and your life through intuitive readings. Because you understand that the only way out is through and that honest expression is empowerment.

And we could never do this without you.

In gratitude,

Marissa

Happy weekend!

- Marissa

Writing Wednesday: The Universe and You

2011-04-06T17:57:00.001-04:00

[caption id="attachment_23" align="alignleft" width="224" caption="Spirituality is an Intensely Personal Road. "][/caption]

(Note: This article contains YouTube videos. If you're reading this entry in an email, please click through to the blog to see the videos!)

In honor of this week's Writing Wednesday, let's talk about the eternal divine within. I believe the sacred is in you, and learning how to connect to our deeply personal and individual spiritualities is, I believe, a lifelong and intensely personal process.

1. Do you believe in a Higher Power? If yes, does it have a name? Do you call it God? Goddess? Jesus? Luck? Chance? Fate?

2. What is your personal sacred code?

3. What does talking to a Higher Power mean to you, if you pray to one? Do you call your communication prayer? Does it have another name?

4. Describe the face of your own inner divine being. What does it look like? What is the feeling associated with it?

5. What is your favorite communication or "prayer" with the divine? Some of my favorites are "I'm lost", "Help", "F-- This!", or "Thank You."

Some book recommendations are

The Feminine Face of God by Sherry Ruth Anderson and Patricia Hopkins: Anderson and Hopkins explore women's views of spirituality, including testimony from nuns, Buddists, pagans, female rabbis, and women of all kinds, creeds, and belief systems. From the questioning stay-at-home mom to the woman leaving her relationship after fifty years, the book delves into our eternal questions: If God is me, what am I doing here? What is meaning? What applies to me?

The Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie: Self-help household name Melody Beattie wrote this as a daily book of meditations to help us let go, find health, and trust our inner timing. (Melody Beattie also gave the children's book I edited rave reviews. To learn more about April Claxton's wonderful Goodnight Just the Same, click here.)

The Cloister Walk by Kathleen Norris: The poet Kathleen Norris went to live with Benedictine monks for two years. "Here, she compresses these years of experience into the diary of one liturgical year, offering observations on subjects ranging from celibacy to dealing with emotions," says Amazon.

Women, Food, and God: Geneen Roth was featured on Oprah for this one and it's fantastic. She connects our intimate relationship to food to our intimate spiritual relationship. Wonderful meditation on the ways that our relationship to food parallels our own abundance or perceived lack of support from a higher power.

The ways that we feel into - or don't feel into - our individual paths can often make or break us in small ways. Here's to loving and accepting our own personal paths, whatever they look like and whatever questions they pose.

And here's a song, "Universe and You" by KT Tunstall.

For any Gray's Anatomy fans out there, here's the "very special musical episode version" that aired last week. Dr. Arizona Robbins (Jessica Capshaw) sings to her partner Dr. Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez) , now in a coma. (Who was a weepy mess? That would be me.)

Love

Marissa

Manifestation Mondays: Music and Mediation

2011-04-04T21:59:00.001-04:00

*** Message to email subscribers - this post contains a YouTube video, so if you're reading it in an email, please click through to the blog to experience the video.***

The theme from one of my favorite movies.

Turn it up.
Listen.
Notice your thoughts. Just notice them.
Relax for five whole minutes.

Fun (and Freaky) Fridays: New Moon in Aries; Aries Energy is Fuel For Change

2011-03-31T14:52:00.001-04:00

[caption id="attachment_60" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="New Moon in Aries and Aries Energy Sets Tone"][/caption]

More major planets move into Aries this weekend, as the New Moon in Aries gears up for April 3. What's a New Moon? As I wrote in a previous post "

“ New Moons dedicate themselves to getting rid of the old and ushering in fresh starts. The sign tells us what area of life we’re being encouraged to restart. What’s even more powerful here is that – as usual, the sign the New Moon is in, is also the sign that the Sun is in.”

Get ready for the Sun Aries/Moon Aries on April 3! Do you feel all that creative and independent "Let's Do It Now" energy? (However, remember that the New Moon is happening in a Retro....so Retro rules apply - you may want to hold tight on the BIG ideas, or at least know that it will become easier to put them in place after the Mercury Retro ends on 4/23). Still, this New Moon pushes us to manifest what About.com astrologer Molly Hall calls "our own personal radiance." This New Moon is a great time to manifest your own independence and sheer LIFE FORCE.

You may want to use this time to manifest in the following areas.

leadership roles

concepts and images about bravery and independence

what it means to do your own individual dance in your life

what it means to Live In the Moment

New identity or self-concept

Aries Key Words:

heart

bravery

self reliance

inner motivation

self-love or self-trust

uncovering your own self - who YOU are, as opposed to who others want you to be

What really gets me excited here is that we have several major planets in Aries right now. Mercury (Retro) in Aries, Sun in Aries, Uranus in Aries, and this New Moon (A reminder: New Moons only last for 2.5 days, but New Moons open the monthly doorway to that planet's energy and potential).

While the Retrograde may make us feel slightly held back, and the Saturn in Libra is still opposing these changes, overall, despite the opposition, we're being ushered into a tremendous new era of change and chance. It's as if we are being given a karmic birthright - and a direct order, even if we don't like it - to rebuild our lives into what we really want. Fittingly, all of this Aries energy is going to push us through the door and both help us and *urge* us to create the kind of life we want.

In Tarot, the first card in the Major Arcana is the Fool, the spiritual everyman who walks through the Wonderland of images known as life. The Fool is creative, direct and innocent. In astrology, the Fool and the Aries sign are similar - they both begin either the Major Arcana or the Zodiac wheel. He, like us, is uniquely posed to reap the benefits of his inner movement and outward manifestation of what he finds.

While these astrological times may seem challenging, they are ultimately liberating. Now, we are directly being assisted to blaze ahead and create from our souls and ourselves the kind of life and truth in which we long to live.

However a reminder. With Aries energy, there's a danger of burnout, of doing too much, of losing our tempers. We can direct the fire of creativity or we can turn it on others. The choice is, as always, up to us.

I, for one, am very excited to see what the next year holds on both a personal and global level.

See you next week for Manifestation Mondays.

take care,

M

"Wacky Wednesdays"...Becomes "Writing Wednesdays"

2011-03-29T21:38:00.001-04:00

[caption id="attachment_152" align="alignleft" width="300" caption=""Wacky Wednesday" Goes Out to Pasture for "Writing Wednesdays""][/caption]

Into every blog a little transformation must fall.

I try to have a thrice-weekly theme here on Happy Ganesh. Loyal readers have probably noticed them: Manifestation Mondays, Wacky Wednesdays, and Fun Fridays.

Well, we're making a change to our HG blog family today. Goodbye "Wacky Wednesdays". You've served us well. Thank you, good luck and enjoy your retirement.

Hello, Writing Wednesdays, where for hump day, I'll blog about writing - the pleasures of it, quotes about it, and how to do it.

Today? Let's talk about how to get started. Just do it, as Nike famously says. In my other offline life, I have worked with students of all ages, most of them struggling with how to write research papers. (When my college students were not texting their friends under their desks while pretending to care about their education, they could be quite charming. Even when they walked into my office, slumped in their chair and looked panicked, some still managed to want to write, even through a haze of college jitters. )

Anyhow, no matter the age or school level of the student (I've worked with nine year olds to post-doc psychologists), these same three questions come up:

How do I get started?

Is this spelled right? What's a comma do?

How do I keep writing? Is this long enough?

The answers to those ever-popular questions are (more or less)

1) Where Do I Begin?: Begin anywhere. It doesn't matter where. Most writers don't actually work from an outline. Some do. Some begin from a rough idea of a plot. Some write entirely from a pre-planned outline and don't deviate from it one bit. Some go until they are done (see #3). Some get a great idea for the One Fantastic Scene and write towards that. It really depends on you. But in order to begin? You have to begin. Just jump in.

2) The Grammar Thing: Google is great for this. Pay attention to grammar and punctuation. Diana Hacker's grammar books are easy to follow and fantastic. Plus, I'm here. And if you ask nicely, I might be convinced to answer a question or two for free - or at least point you in the right direction. (And if you've already written that book and need help, go here.)

Commas are not exactly pauses for breath. While they may sound like that, here's what they actually do

punctuate a list ("Mary likes apples, carrots, and grapes.")

go in front of a transition word ("Frankly, I don't give a damn!")

separate two independent clauses from each other ("The cat drank milk, and the dog drank water.")

Really dying to know more about commas? I know you are. I know you're gagging and dying and writhing to know. Then go here.

There's more of course, but that's enough for now. The gist of that is all to say that - if you really want to write - don't worry about grammar, at least not right (write! ha!) away. Get started. Do a draft. Worry about punctuation later. (Or if you want to learn more, check out Diana Hacker's site)

3) How do I keep writing? How long is long enough?: You keep writing by putting your butt in the chair and putting your hands on the keyboard and moving them around until you produce first letters, then words, then sentences, then entire paragraphs that help you build a story.

It really is that simple. If you do it enough, you will learn how to open up communication with yourself. It's an amazing and wonderful thing.

What's also simple is time. If you want to write, you find the time. It's that simple. If you have to set an alarm, and you write from 5 pm to 5:05 every single day for a week, at the end of seven days, you have 35 minutes worth of writing. 35 entire minutes that belong to you and your story.

For more inspiration, check out my Fiver List blog from a few months back.

Try a few of these questions to get started.

1) A woman is alone on a dirt path. She carries a suitcase. Where is she going?

2) The dog bounds up to you, friendly and wagging his tail. Where did he come from?

3) Your favorite book character shows up at your front door, unannounced, as favorite fictional book characters tend to sometimes do. Who is there? What does he or she say to you?

Happy, happy writing!

See you on Friday, when I'll have more Astro updates. <3

Aries Mercury in Retrograde Mondays

2011-03-27T18:05:00.001-04:00

[caption id="attachment_157" align="alignleft" width="260" caption="Mercury in Aries is a-coming! 3/30-4/23"][/caption]

Note the title. It's usually "Manifestation Mondays", I know. But Mercury in Retrograde is almost here.

Mercury in Aries will be in Retrograde from March 30, 2011 to April 23, 2011.

What's a Mercury in Retrograde? (More about that here.)

As I stated in a previous article "As with all retrogrades (more about that here) this is going to guide us to focus our attention on the areas of communication and travel. To sum up, during a retrograde

Don’t sign on the dotted line unless it’s for something from your past.

Redo, Rethink, Reflect.

Back up computers.

Careful with spoken or written communication.

Old friends or lovers (with, in this case, Aries planets) may resurface during an Aries Retro in order to heal past events.

In a nutshell, with Aries Mercury Retro, there can be a tendency to be too fiery or incendiary. It reminds you to look before you leap and please, please, please don't go blazing off into the Great Unknown to start something new unless it's something that's come back around a second time.

Also, Astro Hint!

Wherever Aries falls in your chart is where this Retro will hit you.

In the section of your chart that Aries falls is also where Mercury in Aries in Retrograde falls. This is where you may experience any of the bulleted points above, from communication confusion to old friends/lovers returning.

All astrological transits (when a planet is in a certain placement RIGHT NOW instead of on the day you were born) can be calculated in terms of your personal chart by looking at two things: your Sun Sign ("What's Your Sign, Baby!") and your Rising Sign, which is in your first house. Not sure what your Rising Sign is? Go to Astro.com and find out for free. Go on. I'll wait right here.

Ok, now with both of those in hand, use the list below to see what you can expect for Mercury in Retrograde in Aries.

For example, Mary's Sun Sign is in Libra because she was born on October 11. Astro.com says her Rising Sign/Ascendent is in Gemini because she was born at 10:15 PM.

Mary will read BOTH the Libra section (for her Sun Sign) and the Gemini section (for her Ascendent/Rising Sign).

Aries Suns or Rising Signs will feel this upcoming Aries Mercury Retro in their 1st house of self.

Taurus Suns or Rising Signs will feel this upcoming Aries Mercury Retro in their 12th house of secrets and hidden things.

Gemini Sun Signs or Rising Signs may feel some communication confusion in his 11th house of friends and associations.

If you have a Cancer Sun Sign or Rising Sign, you may feel some communication confusion in your 10th house of work and career.

Leo Suns or Rising Signs will feel this upcoming Retrograde in their 9th house of travel and higher learning, and so on.

Virgo Suns or Rising Signs will feel this upcoming Aries Mercury Retrograde in their 8th house of death, sex, and other people's money.

Libra Suns or Rising Signs will feel this upcoming Aries Mercury Retrograde in their 7th house of partnership and marriage.

Scorpio Suns or Rising Signs will feel this upcoming Aries Mercury Retrograde in their 6th house of work and health.

Sagittarius Suns or Rising Signs will feel this upcoming Aries Mercury Retrograde in their 5th house of love affairs, children, and creative pursuits.

Capricorn Suns or Rising Signs will feel this upcoming Aries Mercury Retrograde in their 4th house of home and family (and mom).

Aquarius Suns or Rising Signs will feel this upcoming Aries Mercury Retrograde in their 3rd house of neighbors, communication and siblings.

Pisces Suns or Rising Signs will feel this upcoming Aries Mercury Retrograde in their 2nd house of money and property.

And...sometimes I have special updates about astrology that are exclusive to the Happy Ganesh Facebook page. Join in order to get allll the good stuff.

And here's the most recent episode of Bob Decker's Blazing Blog, a show that I co-host with Bob Decker.

Fun Fridays: Aries Sun

2011-03-25T13:49:00.001-04:00

***Message to My Email Blog Subscribers: This article has YouTube movies in it! If you're reading this in an email, please Click Through To The Main Blog In Order to Watch the Youtube movies. ****

The SUN is in Aries! Happy birthday, Aries!

Let's break this down. What's a Sun Sign? Simply put, a Sun Sign is that part of your chart that most people already know. (This is what you answer when some drunk and/or well-meaning person stuck in the 1970s slurs to you "Hey baby, what's your sign?") This is the sign that you look up when you read your astrology column.

As of a few days ago, the Sun went into Aries. What's an Aries? Who is an Aries?

An Aries is a person born between March 23 and April 20 (roughly; some dates may vary). Aries folks are known for their motivation, intention, and moxie. They want to get things done and by God, they want to get it done NOW. RIGHT NOW. Waiting does not work with these people. (A relative of mine is a double Aries - she has an Aries Sun and an Aries Rising Sign - and she lives her life by the phrase "If not now, when?")

Famous Aries people that we have known and loved have been

Lucy Lawless (star of the tv show Xena; born March 28, 1968): Frankly, there could not be a more perfect Aries example than Xena: Warrior Princess who battled on for six seasons, kicked the snot out of bad guys, and made a career out of being the Warrior Woman. (Lucy Lawless is also a Sun Sign Aries)

Russell Crowe (Born April 7, 1964): Another Aries Sun who played an Aries type in 2000's hit film Gladiator, both Crowe and the main character in Gladiator are typical Aries types: fiery, aggressive, and dripping with the full intent to kick someone's butt.

Karen Blixen, author (Born April 17, 1885): Karen Blixen (also known by her pen name, Isak Dinesen) was played by Oscar winner Meryl Streep in 1982's epic film Out of Africa, a film about Blixen's life on a Kenyan coffee plantation. There's a lot of scenes of Karen Blixen looking determinedly over her land, lugging riffles everywhere, and clearly showing Aries qualities of independence and fearlessness.

Rachel Maddow (April 1, 1973): The Oxford graduate turned MSNBC-talk-show-host is an Aries Sun. She single handedly calls out Republicans and Democrats alike on her show. Since this isn't a political blog, though, here she is telling us how to make cocktails.

And that's your Aries update!

Have a great Friday,
Marissa

Wacky Wednesdays: What Uranus in Aries Means to YOU!

2011-03-23T13:45:00.001-04:00

[caption id="attachment_157" align="alignleft" width="260" caption="What Uranus in Aries Means for YOUR chart!"][/caption]

I've been all atwitter about Uranus in Aries, that 8/9 year long change that will revolutionize everything. If you've missed your specific sign on the Facebook lists or the Twitter lists, please read below.

Missed the big update about Uranus in Aries? No prob. Go here.

[And why not take this opportunity to join the offical HG Facebook or Twitter pages...because who wants to miss more free personalized astrological updates? Not you. Not me. Not your dog or cat - they have charts too...and you may have a cat who cares about that kind of thing. Kidding.]

How will these changes affect you?Read below. And...not sure what your Sun Sign or Rising Sign is? Your Sun Sign is your birth sign. Are you a Libra, Scorpio, or Gemini? Mostly that is the one everyone knows. The Rising Sign (also known as the Ascendant) is the sign that calculates your entire chart and life's purpose. To calculate your free Rising Sign, go here.

Your Sun and your Rising Sign will most likely be different - just read both entries below for a quick fix about what the next 8/9 years holds for you in the area of unexpected change!

For Aries Sun or Rising Signs, expect the unexpected in your 1st house of self.

For Taurus sun or Rising Signs, you'll be the most impacted by Uranus in Aries (and Jupiter in Aries) hitting your 12th house of secrets and dreams. Unexpected changes and luck in these areas.
Gemini Suns and Rising signs will be impacted by the Uranus in Aries in your 11th house of groups and friendships. Unexpected changes in these areas.

Cancer suns and Rising signs will be impacted by the Uranus in Aries in your 10th house of career and associations.

Leo suns and Rising signs will be impacted by Uranus in Aries (unpredictability) in th 9th house of higher learning, philosophy and long distance travel. This is a good and unpredictable long term shakeup for the next 8/9 years.

Virgo Suns and Rising Signs will be impacted by Uranus in Aries in the 8th house of sex, death, and other people's money. Hot stuff!

Libra suns or Rising Signs will be impacted by Uranus in Aries in the 7th house of romantic or business partnerships. Expect the unexpected in these areas.

Scorpio suns or Rising Signs will be impacted by Uranus in Aries in the 6th house of work, healing, and editing. Expect the unexpected here!

Sagittarius Suns or Rising Signs will be impacted by Uranus in Aries in the 5th house of love, children, and creative events. Expect the unexpected here!

Capricorn Suns or Rising Signs will be impacted by Uranus in Aries in the 4th house of home and family (and mothers). Expect the unexpected here!

Aquarius Suns or Rising Signs will be impacted by Uranus in Aries in the 3rd house of writing, short-distance travel, and communication.

Pisces Suns or Rising Signs will be impacted by Uranus in Aries in the 2nd house of money, property and values. Expect the unexpected here!

Manifestation Mondays (and a Blazing Blog!)

2011-03-20T23:24:00.001-04:00

Esther Hicks on - "how patience is not necessary." It's about NOW. Oprah hosted books (hello The Power of Now!). But really? Really? How can that be so? Because patience is a virtue. We're taught that. We must be patient. Wow, I can just hear my inner five year old going "But WHERE IS IT?" Well, Hicks says your energy brings it. Call it out and it comes. Is it that simple? Yep. It just takes a ton of practice (and hint: we make it very hard on ourselves).

And, "it's that time again!" My good friend, tarot card reader and certified professional hypnotist Bob Decker and I host Bob Decker's Blazing Blog every Friday. In this one, I go into great detail about the recent Supermoon in Virgo - and other big astrological changes.

Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to come to Happy Ganesh and be a part of it. I appreciate so much your words, your thoughts and your presence.

I did a wonderful event at Gilda's Club today and - again - I am blown away that I get to do what I love. Gilda's Club is personally meaningful to me and I love being able to go back with Happy Ganesh and meet such wonderful brave, fantastic people.

Have an honest and eager week, friends, as we move into Sun in Aries. (More on that next time!)

Full Moon in Virgo on 3/19

2011-03-18T12:39:00.002-04:00

Wow, this just adds to the wild roller coaster of astro happenings.

We've had Uranus (the planet of unexpected change) move off of Pisces and into Aries, where it will stay for the next 8/9 years. To read my previous article on that, click here.

Pluto is still in Capricorn, shaking up status quo.

Our Full Moon in Virgo closes out the energy of the month and asks us if we have what it takes, where as New Moon energy (always at the start of the month) opens the energy and give us a chance to manifest.

The effect of the full moon – or any moon at all – lasts for just about two-and-a-half days. I’ve written about New Moons and their pure manifestation power (our last New Moon was in Pisces, encouraging us to manifest Piscean skills: compassion, spirituality, and imagination, mass healing on a grand scale. Another astrologer wrote in her blog that "the Virgo Moon longs to be of service" while the Pisces Sun just wants to heal and talk to spirits and feel compassion.

This particular Full Moon is also a Supermoon. What's a Supermoon? Tomorrow, the moon will be the closest it has been to Earth in 18 years - a lunar perigee. Read more about it here. Interestingly enough, astrologer Robert Noll stated that the Supermoon can, about two weeks prior to its date, cause earthquakes. While Space.com disputed that here, I still find that to be slightly chilling and amazing to me, as I think about the recent Japan disaster.

Whether or not the Supermoon is "responsible" for the recent disasters in Japan, I think the most important thing to come out of this Sun in Pisces/Full Moon in Virgo dynamic is learning how to work with our Sun Pisces compassion in a practical Moon in Virgo way.

See below. The key words are in black.

Pisces Sun INTENDS to bring compassion and healing to situations.

Pisces New Moon (earlier this month) longed to MANIFEST compassion and healing.

Virgo (Full) Moon longs to bring practical know-how to CONCLUDE a situation.

Do we merely pray about it or do we combine Pisces compassion with Virgo practicality?) This configuration reminds us to blend our hearts with our ability to create results through work (Virgo). So while praying for Japan and the millions of people affected is wonderful (and a very Pisces thing to do), according to this dynamic, we may also want to see about donating to that area of the world - and letting the current Virgo moon direct our path of compassion.

As I wrote in a previous post, "Full Moons provide the template for these wishes and dreams. Full Moons dare us to see if we reaaally have the guts and the power to make good on our manifestations. They give us support."

Now, the Full Moon in Virgo (3/19) asks us if we’re CLEAR (Virgo key word) and PRACTICAL (Virgo key word) enough to manifest our DREAMS AND COMPASSION, not just in aid to Japan but in all walks of our lives.

Creating a balance between Piscean/Virgo elements is important in the next 2.5 days. In other words, finding a way to allow our current Pisces Sun (our will) to interact with our Moon in Virgo (emotional need) will mean balancing the need for both compassion and imagination (Pisces Sun) and practical, technical know-how (Virgo Moon).

We will have felt this for about two weeks before the full moon (usually the first half of the month, between the New Moon and the Full Moon).

{So, if you have a Sun or Rising in Gemini, for the last two weeks you'll have felt the affects of this in your 4th house of home and family. So you'll be thinking about how to improve your home or family relationships, and will have be drawn to improve your home life during this two week full moon cycle.}

Astro Manifestation Mad Lib

Are you _____ (Virgo word) enough to manifest your dreams of _____ (Pisces word).

Some examples might be

Are you DETAILED enough to manifest your dreams of DIVINE LOVE AND HEALING?
Are you PRACTICAL enough to manifest your dreams of BEING A HEALER?
Are you CLEAR enough to manifest your dreams of IMAGINATION?

If you know your chart, look at where your Pisces and Virgo planets fall. That's where you'll feel this New/Full Moon shift.

I wish you all clear Full Moon intention and Virgo power on this powerful Supermoon weekend.

Have questions? Want to book a personal reading? Contact me here.

Best,

Marissa

Blazing Blog!

2011-03-13T22:00:00.001-04:00

As many of you know, I am a weekly co-host at Bob's Blazing Tarot Blog. Bob Decker, the host, is a fantastic reader and certified hypnotist.

In the latest episode, I discuss Uranus in Aries. (You can also read my post about Uranus in Aries.)

To see the complete list of Blazing Blogs, please go here.

The Debby Connection (and Writing Prompts)

2011-03-13T21:36:00.001-04:00

[caption id="attachment_163" align="alignleft" width="231" caption="Pencil Sketch of mom Debby, done by my father in 1976"][/caption]

My mother's name was Deborah. When she died of cancer in 2007, she left me some of her precious books, among them Gibran's The Prophet and a well worn copy of Creative Visualization.

Over the years, my dead mother has shown herself to me in odd ways. Every time I do a professional event for the spiritual and intuitive side of Happy Ganesh , always and without fail the first person that I meet is named Debby, usually Deborah.

Always.

(At the last event I did, I found myself talking to two young women who were both "daughters of Debby." Predictably, their mothers spelled their names Deborah. I was not surprised.)

The day I moved into my office space, her favorite song was playing on the radio.

When I questioned a rocky relationship, I opened a book to a handwritten note of mom's, scrawled on an aging yellow sticky note, which read: "It matters how we treat the people we love every day, not just on holidays."

Recently, I wasn't sure how to proceed with certain career goals. I'd been looking for - and found - mom's copy of Creative Visualization, a book published in 1978, years before The Secret and Esther Hicks's work came to fame. Since I teach visualization and manifestation, I'd been looking for that particular book, never dreaming that it survived the book purges to Goodwill. But it had. I was fearful about my career, feeling worried, wondering how I would keep my head above water. And it was in that place of fearfulness that I opened the book, looking again for answers from my mother. Another one of her sticky notes, tumbled to the floor, all the glue long since gone. When I picked it up, it read - in her backhanded, rounded print, "To thine own self be true." Amazingly, she'd drawn a small heart after the words.

When I have questions for her, things that only a mother could answer, she seems to collect herself across the gap between life and death to just show up. It's pretty amazing.

Sleepless a few nights ago, I pulled another book of hers off my shelf. God, Sex, and Women of the Bible by Shoni Labowitz, a feminist rabbi. (My mom was pretty cool, I have to say. I feel lucky to have had a mother who read stuff like this - and who shared it with me!) Sometimes I ask books what I need to know, as if their wisdom will help me find answers. I asked this particular book. I opened at random - of course - to the Deborah chapter.

Color me unsurprised.

I've been wondering about, among other things, career improvement. Crossroads. What do I do? That's what I asked. The book "answered" "Once you have discerned what you want and it feels right in your soul, then ask: What do I need to do to get what I want? Then go for it! Passion moves a woman like nothing else can."

That's her way of reaching me. She knows that books are one of my favorite escapes and it makes me happy to know that she will show up in that favorite place of mine, to give me faith.

Writing Prompts

What gives you unexpected faith?

What phenomenon answers your prayers/wishes/dreams?

Have you had experiences where you believed (or in some cases, flat out knew) that your deceased loved one had come back to help or support you?

(Crossposted from happyganeshwriting.blogspot.com)

Fun Fridays: YAWP and Perseverance

2011-03-12T20:17:00.001-05:00

[caption id="attachment_152" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Each Book is a Ray of Light. Someone created it."][/caption]I got a rejection letter today - that's two this week. It happens and I've learned that the stack of published stuff outweighs the pile of unpublished. And I love what I do. And I keep going.

Why?

I keep going because I live for the sounds of words, rippling through the air like music. I love words. I love how each word is a poem is like a musical note, and the entire thing forms a symphony. I do this because books, words, novels, and stories are our history. They are proof of our humanity, our shared passions and secrets, our hopes and our ordinary days. When you write a story, even if you are the only person to see it, or if you have a readership of millions, that's your heart, your love, your baby, your truth out there in the world. And your voice, my voice, our voices, our collective voices - they matter.

I began to look for inspiration. Here is what I found.

1) Finding your creative nerve is important. In this fantastic scene from Dead Poets' Society (1989) Mr. Keating (Robin Williams) inspires shy Todd (Ethan Hawke) to find his "barbaric yawp." That's the first step to creating. You have a YAWP, yes you do. Let it out!

"I sound my barbaric yawp over the rooftops of the world." - Walt Whitman

2)Don't give up. Show your moxie! Rock and roll legend Joan Jett (after she quit the Runaways) was rejected by 23 (that's 23!) record labels before getting picked up. As a reminder, Jett would be the woman who did this.

3) Believe in Magic: Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling worked as a temp for eight years and wrote in between making copies and getting coffee for her boss. She was considering taking a job teaching French when Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was published. She is now one of the richest women in England, if not the world.

4) Don't Give Up (It's Worth Repeating):Horror megastar Stephen King worked as a English teacher, getting paid a whopping $19,000 a year and living in a trailer with his wife Tabitha and their first child before his first novel Carrie (1976) was published. Now? He's Stephen King. You've heard of him, right?

5) Follow the Beat of Your Own Drummer: Katherine Hepburn is now seen as an icon of style, strength and women's rights. Yet in the late 30s, she was labeled "box office poison." Then she did The Philadelphia Story and, hello fame. (First she performed on Broadway and bought the rights. Smart!)

6) Be Yourself. There Is Room In The World: Leonardo DiCaprio was told by an agent that his name was too "ethnic" and he would never be famous unless he changed it to something like "Lenny Williams." DiCaprio is now one of the largest names in Hollywood and I assume that agent is slinging hash in a diner somewhere.

Here's Lenny Williams - I mean, Leonardo DiCaprio - in Inception.

Tips and Writing Prompts

1) Keep going.

2) If you love what you do, you're already a success. - my dad (and someone else before him, I'm sure.) What do you love?

3) Keep going some more. Where do you stall? Where do you start?

4) Read about people who did what you are trying to do. You will no doubt find out the several ways that this person was rejected or told by others that he or she couldn't do it/didn't have the chops/wasn't enough. This is only true if YOU accept it.

5) If you're a writer, walk into a bookstore and see every single book in there as one success story. If you're an artist, every painting that you look at for the next week is one ray of light. Don't think about the competition, the economy, or all the "reasons" you have to stop right here and now.

6) Yawp. Loudly. When was the last time you did this?

In the 1977 film Julia, about the life of playwright Lillian Hellman (played by Jane Fonda), her lover, writer Dashiell Hammett (Jason Robards) says to her as she battles writer's block, "It's a great time to stop. No one will ever know that you existed." Ouch. Thanks, Dashiell. (Hammett may have been the hard-drinking granddaddy of hard boiled mysteries such as The Maltese Falcon, but I imagine he was not known for his breathtaking sensitivity.)

Still, what he meant was that no one will come to your door and politely ask you if you are ready to embrace your YAWP, if you are ready to live your honest life, or if you are ready to follow your dreams. YOU have to YAWP. I promise. You must do it. You must find that place inside you that believes with all of your heart that you have something worth saying - and that it is worth it for others to hear. And even if they don't want to hear, you commit to saying it. It is your truth and your choice, always.

It's your move and the world is waiting. More importantly, you are waiting. You are. You are waiting to step into your truth and your creative expression.

7) When was the last time you allowed yourself creative expression? Cooking? Singing? Painting? Acting? Writing? How did it feel? How did your body feel?

Go for it.

I wish us all the loudest and fiercest of YAWPS this weekend.

Love.

Creative Writing Prompt: Rainy Morning and Staying Put

2011-03-10T12:30:00.001-05:00

[caption id="attachment_160" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Windy Tree Thursday"][/caption]

How often do we ignore a change in the weather? Not open our doors and windows? I do it plenty.

One thing can change your day. The heat of the sun. Cold rain. The smell of dirt as we plant something in the garden.

I began the day carefully and slowly, questions building in my head as they do every morning. I get dressed on the second to last day of vacation and come downstairs. I'm prepared to go out jogging in the newly windy Florida day. Instead, I read a book, I lounge. I lazily take advantage of the time my university is off school.

I gave up running. A storm kicked up. The kind of windy, barely-supressed, rainy, flesh-tingling storm that opens gardens wider and makes you feel a little more alive.

I did something I haven't done since starting to revamp this house. I opened the back windows to catch the Florida storm. (We had to commit to new windows a few months ago. They were needed, thirty years of water and wear had destroyed the old ones.)

I turned the small couch around so its facing the back garden. I pulled back the drapes and opened the back door. It feels stiff and new in my hand, the factory newness reflecting off every shiny surface of it.

Now, the cold, clear air blows through the living room. The Bougainvillea tree is scattering dark purple petals over the yard. Some flower fragments have danced their way up to the closed screen door. Every time another gust of wind comes through, I can feel it all over.My nose feels it and responds accordingly. Twitch. Twitch. Breathe.

I can smell the cold and the rain through the open door. A neighbor is smoking and even though he is smoking in his yard, just next door, I can smell a much-watered down version of smoke. Every few seconds the wind pulls the sheer curtains tight against the screen and then they dance back, flapping wildly.

If I hadn't turned the couch around, I would have missed this. The smell, the cold rain. Glorious. I'm not thinking about my questions or my worries - or the how, what, why, how can I, what can I, where.

I'm here.

Creative Writing Prompt: Nature and Me

When was the last time you connected with nature?

Where were you?

How did it feel?

Did it change your day for the better or worse? How?

What colors were active in nature that day? Describe them.

Why Uranus in Aries on 3/11 Will Change Your Life

2011-03-09T18:20:00.001-05:00

[caption id="attachment_157" align="alignleft" width="260" caption="Uranus Moves in Aries - Unexpected Changes!"][/caption]

We're approaching Mercury in Aries, which will go into effect on March 9. For the last three weeks or so, we've been in compassionate, dreamy Mercury in Pisces, lending a gentle touch to our communications (Mercury). Now, the planet of Communication goes into assertive, take-no-prisoners Aries, asking us to communicate directly and forthrightly. This change in communication is small potatoes considering that ...

Uranus the planet of the unexpected is also shifting from Pisces to direct and forthright Aries.

This is a BIG DEAL.

Why?

We're seeing a repeat of the Cardinal Grand Cross from last summer. A Grand Cross is when you have four planets squaring (warring) off, all at 90 degrees apart. Last summer during July 2010:

Saturn in Libra offered us relationship LESSONS.

Pluto in Capricorn shook up the status quo.

Jupiter in Aries gave us direct luck,

...Here's the catch. Moving ahead (especially for the Cardinal Signs of Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn) may have felt amazingly frustrating or slow. You may see a repeat of issues that arose in late summer of 2010 - Summer 2010 Issues, Part II. And now? It's easier. A lot easier. Now we can use this energy to figure out where we are going and why.

Now?

Uranus, planet of the unexpected, moves into Aries on 3/11: Self-esteem, self-love, independence and all other things that fall under the domain of Aries will come from unexpected, shocking Uranus-style places. You may find these things in the least common of places since Uranus rules the unexpected, so keep your eyes open!

Jupiter (luck) in Aries is squaring off to Capricorn in Pluto (deep rebirth). Make your own assertive (Aries) luck (Jupiter) by allowing the status quo (Capricorn) to transform (Pluto).

I believe we've seen this in the events in Egypt in the last few weeks - the world watched as a government (Capricorn) fell and is now beginning to transform in a very baseline Plutonian way. It is Jupiter's job to blow up and expand. Take a deep breath and go with the Pluto shake up. The life that you are building now has the potential to be 100 times better and more satisfying than before...but as long as Pluto is in Capricorn, it may feel like you're straddling a fault line. Jupiter is like a helium balloon - blowing up everything it touches. It may blow up issues about YOU (Aries rules the self) so they can be dealt with. It may also lead you to experience exhaustion because everything is changing so fast. Ride it out and be aware of HOW you want to direct this energy. It's big. Also, Uranus will be in Aries until 2018! So, whatever changes are being made, they are for the long haul and the greater good.

Also, with Jupiter (luck) and Uranus (surprise) in Aries, expect to find unexpected luck around Aries issues of self-esteem and motivation.

Many of us - specifically those of us who have Sun Signs or Ascendents that are in the Cardinal Signs of Aries, Cancer, Libra, or Capricorn - will feel this more accutely than others. If you know your chart (or want to check it for free, go to www.astro.com), look where Aries or Capricorn planets fall in your chart for more information. Those will be the areas feeling the impact of this square.

Curious? Want a more personalized session? Contact me here.

New Moon in Pisces

2011-03-04T21:30:00.001-05:00

Last night we experienced a New Moon in Pisces and we'll be feeling the affects of it until tomorrow night. You can use this moon to manifest

clearer dreams

stronger intuition

compassion for yourself and for others

a clearer spiritual path

taking better care of your feet (Pisces rules the feet)

helping someone without expecting in return

identifying savior/victim dynamics

creating healthy spiritual routines

To manifest with this moon, choose a light blue candle.

Key Pisces concepts or words to work with are

compassion

dreams

intuition

imagination

sacrifice

saviors

victims

your inner life

Enjoy working with the Pisces moon!

Image By: Shudrbug

Achieve Bravery and Creativity with the Full Moon In Leo

2011-02-18T23:49:00.001-05:00

[caption id="attachment_60" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Full Moon in Leo on 2/18. Energy in effect for 2.5 days!"][/caption]

The effect of the full moon - or any moon at all - lasts for just about two-and-a-half days. I've written about New Moons and their pure manifestation power. (To read those articles, please go here.) A New Moon is an inspirational burst, so to speak. New Moons in Aries encourage us to manifest traditionally Aries issues or trades (independence), New Moons in Taurus coach us to manifest money and strength, etc.

Full Moons provide the template for these wishes and dreams. Full Moons dare us to see if we reaaally have the guts and the power to make good on our manifestations. They give us support.

So our New Moon in Aquarius brought us chances to manifest for a strong community, independence from the group, and getting cozy with technology. (To read my article on New Moon in Aquarius, please click here.

As a refresher, here are some key New Moon in Aquarius manifestations.

get cozy with technology

support your platonic friendships

Seeing possibility and the future

Seeing chance and change

Easily realign with your true self

Defeating coldness or detachment in personal relationships

Manifest health in the lower half of your legs (ruled by Aquarius).

Now, the Full Moon in Leo (2/18) and again, no worries. We'll be feeling the affects for the next 2.5 days, so you can go ahead and work with this energy. Leo Full Moons ask us if we're brave (Leo key word), creative (Leo key word) and self-confident (Leo key word) to manifest our dreams.

Astro Manifestation Mad Lib

Are you _____ (Leo word) enough to manifest your dreams of _____ (Aquarius word).

Some examples might be

Are you BRAVE enough to manifest your dreams of COMMUNITY?

Are you CREATIVE enough to manifest your dreams of BEING A TECHO WIZARD?

Are you LOVING enough to manifest your dreams of CONNECTING TO HUMAN FREEDOM?

Planetary influences involving Sun/Mars and the conjunct energy of Neptune (dreams) and Saturn ( restriction) allow us - and encourage us to let go of things that are no longer serving us - and also to let whatever changes you want to make begin with you and have compassion for others (Neptune).

Curious about what all of this means for you? We've still got that $10 off Valentine's Day month sale going on until Feb 28. If you want to book a reading, please click here.

All my best,

Marissa

Nodes Update!

2011-02-12T10:12:00.001-05:00

[caption id="attachment_146" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="North and South Nodes Shift the Intention for the Year - and For You!"][/caption]

As a member of the Inspire Team, I occasionally write articles for my "second home" over at the Astrology Corner and link to them.

The North and South Node Article

Scoot on over there to read it!

Also, look for a much longer section in my book Creative Astrology about this. To learn more about my new book, go to Happy Ganesh Books

Valentine's Day Sale!!!

2011-02-06T21:48:00.001-05:00

In honor of Valentine’s Day, we’re proud to take $10 off any hour long reading (reg. price $90) until 11 PM EST on Feb 28, 2011! Click here to purchase the discounted hour long reading!

Happy Ganesh in San Fran!!

2011-02-02T04:00:00.001-05:00

[caption id="attachment_137" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Pacific Coastline. Here I Come, San Fran!"][/caption]I'm going to the West Coast on business today and I'll be back in a week. While I'm enjoying the fresh food, wonderful weather, and massive bookstores (to say nothing of the company of old friends and new editors), here's some San Fran style fun for you to enjoy at home.

I, personally, will not be wearing flowers in my hair, and the "gentle people" I am likely to meet come in the form of best friends who have way too much fun with creme brulee kitchen torches, but c'est la vie. Here's a song anyway. Happy week, all. :)

Manifestation Mondays: New Moon in Aquarius on Feb. 2!

2011-01-31T00:00:00.001-05:00

[caption id="attachment_123" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="New Moon in Aquarius on 2/2/11! Manifest for freedom and individuality!"][/caption]

As I said in a past blog about New Moons, " New Moons dedicate themselves to getting rid of the old and ushering in fresh starts. The sign tells us what area of life we’re being encouraged to restart. What’s even more powerful here is that – as usual, the sign the New Moon is in, is also the sign that the Sun is in."

Get ready for the Sun Aquarius/Moon Aquarius on February 2! Do you feel all that quirky, go-your-own-way energy? This New Moon ushers in the perfect time to work on community issues. Relish your own individuality and quirkiness. Feminism, equal rights or any movement for the greater good and FREEDOM (Aquarian key word!) and TRUTH also falls under this New Moon. (Words like that have Aquarian types dancing in the streets.)

You may want to use this time to manifest in the following areas.

get cozy with technology

support your platonic friendships

Seeing possibility and the future

Seeing chance and change

Easily realign yourself with your true self

Defeating coldness or detachment in personal relationships

Manifest health in the lower half of your legs (ruled by Aquarius).

Aquarian Key Words:

Freedom

Truth

Feminism (or any other social "-ism" that works for the freedom of the people)

Friends

Community

Cool Logic

Detatchment

New Age Anything

Energy

Unconventional ways of acting

Working with Candle Manifestation or Prayer? Choose a white or a light blue candle.

And, here's the latest Bob's Blazing Tarot Blog, shot with the fabulous clinical hypnotist and card reader Bob Decker. I go into detail about the New Moon in Aquarius towards the end of the video. Enjoy!

Manifestation Fortune Cookie:

"I was changing trains and I said to the woman in front of me, "I'd really love to make my connection." The woman in front of me said, "You'll have to change trains. You can't make your connection!"...She's still in Dallas!

I think from the end. I see myself already connected to that which I want to attract in my life. Watch your resistance! If you think about what is missing in your life and you talk about what is missing and you talk a lot about what is missing, you are creating your connection to Source." As a man thinketh, so is he." If you think about what has always happened, that's what will always happen." - Dr. Wayne Dyer

Happy Manifestation Mondays!

Manifestation Station: The Comedy Weekend Edition

2011-01-29T02:38:00.001-05:00

A special Manifestation Station video.

Here's British comedian Stephen Fry, best known for his comedy duo "A Bit of Fry and Laurie, with House's Hugh Laurie, discussing "How to Be Gorgeous." As Mr. Fry humorously states, the key is to Being Gorgeous is "believing in your own gorgeousness, tremulously at first, and then with mounting heat and passion."

Indeed. Take it away, Mr. Fry. Tell us all about the link between belief and transforming your reality.

Friday Fun: The "Fiver" List

2011-01-28T13:58:00.001-05:00

[caption id="attachment_132" align="alignleft" width="300" caption=""Fiver" Lists: The Power of Self Expression in Miniature Form!"][/caption]

Lists. Most people make grocery lists or "To Do" lists. Some people make "honey do" lists. Lists can be a great way to take stock of different areas of your life - and for those of us who may not have the time to write more or who want to write but aren't sure how to start, it's a great, fast way of expressing ourselves. Also, the focus you put into writing helps you focus on other areas of your life - it's a big manifestation key.

I created something I am having a lot of FUN with and I'd like to invite you to join me! See below.

Step 1: Devote five minutes to YOU: Oh, you know you can. I know you can. Even if you're busy with kids and partners and laundry and the Full Stress of the Universe, you know you can take five minutes (that's only 300 seconds) to try this. If you can do more, wonderful.

Step 2: Find paper and a pen: Pretty simple so far. I find journals are better because they help create space to get in the habit of writing more...and more...and more. :D

Step 3: Sit and breathe: In for a count of five, out for a count of five.

Step 4: Find a category and write five things on your paper.

Sometimes these lists are small and fun. Sometimes they are more intense and serious.

Some sample "Fiver" lists might be:

Five Things I Enjoyed About Today

Five Things That Are On My Desk At Work

Five Feelings I Have When I Interact With ____

Five Ways My Body Shows Me I Am Upset or Angry

Five Fears I Have About _____.

Five Things I Can Do To Take Care of Myself

Five Reasons I Am Glad I Am Writing

Step 5: Enjoy the tiny act of writing down how you feel. For only five minutes, something this small can turn your entire day around. I find that, when I don't want to write pages on how I am feeling (or for those of us who are new to writing), the organization of the "simple five" helps me to get things out in fun, bite-sized little bursts.

Here's two samples of my "Fivers", a slightly serious one and a more silly one.

Five Signs My Body Is Trying to Tell Me That I Need More Rest

I feel tired.

My body feels "thirsty."

My tummy feels clogged.

I have a headache

I need to stretch

Five Things I Like About Taking The Time For a Bath.

Looking at the cabinet that I painted white.

Realizing how much one change to a room can change my feelings about it.

Smelling the sage and candles that I've lit.

How new everything feels. Hello, washing off the day and spending quiet time with my thoughts.

Rubber Ducky, you're the one!

Enjoy your Fivers and enjoy creating them - and feel free to share yours on the Happy Ganesh Facebook Page! I'd love to hear them!

The Inspire Team. Like the Beatles without guitars and with inspiration

2011-01-24T22:32:00.002-05:00

Tonight, April Claxton, CEO of The Movement Within (published author, and all around cool gal) welcomed me and fellow INSPIRE TEAM member Debbie Nutile (certified nutritionist and author) to The Movement Within Radio! To hear the show, click here!

The Inspire Team also consists of April K and Alisa Kalina, whose awesome FREE ADVICE COLUMN can be seen by clicking on her name!)

A word about the Inspire Team -- what I love about this project is that all of these women have independent businesses - and we're all united in The Movement Within platform. Every last one of us has independent talents and webpages. And we're all here, together.

Dance with the universe. Please. It wants to dance with you. We talked about this. Oh, do, please listen. It was fun and it rocked. Stuff moved. I danced.

Happy Ganesh, who loooooves to dance, was dancing throughout my house.

April's books are available!!! Check out The Movement Within site to purchase!

I was the proud editor of April's children's book "Goodnight Just the Same!" --- ENDORSED BY MELODY BEATTIE, best selling author of Co-Dependent No More. :D :D :D. So, let's all do the Happy Ganesh Dance over that one. Something that we were lucky enough to work on is getting endorsed by a major, self-help household name. And GJTS is an adorable book

My poem, "Debby's Birthday" about the cancer journey and my caregiving experiences, came up for discussion. It was originally published in Summer 2009. To read it, click here.

Manifestation and how it relates to weight loss and how to keep it off. Debbie talked about this and I was ASTOUNDED to find the links between manifestation (which I teach classes in) and weight loss. She introduced fantastic concepts during the show that I never thought of. We also touched upon "Women, Food and God" by Geneen Roth - such an interesting book.

My personal "Debby Theory" -- I know I'm getting a message from my mother when I run into a "Debby." It happens every single time I'm working a community event. (Blog post about miracles and mom, coming soon.)

I go into some detail about the 13th sign astrology mess. Click here to learn more.

Some other important things discussed?

Gilda's Club - I've been blessed to work very closely with this wonderful organization. Named for Gilda Radner, this cancer support group is a wonderful, nurturing place. If you or someone you know has cancer and needs emotional, physical and spiritual help, please check them out. They are nothing but gorgeous.
Sandra's Walk - Discussed in the chat room, please check out this page. It's about recovery and the recovery community and it's truly an amazing site. Buy the necklaces to support Sandra's Walk!

Thank you for listening and being a part of Happy Ganesh!!! The more you support, the more we all connect.

Dance!

Update! HG Can Also Be Seen on TMW!

2011-01-22T22:45:00.001-05:00

[caption id="attachment_106" align="alignleft" width="189" caption="HG + TMW = More Joy."][/caption]

Twice the fun!

In addition to catching great HG info here on our official main site, you can also catch reprints of our astrology info on April Claxton's The Movement Within website. I'm proud and happy to keep the light burning in the Astrology Corner.

Also, if you're friends with TMW on Facebook, I'm now a proud member of the INSPIRE Team. I'll join forces with some other cool ladies (CEO April, Advice Columnist Alisa, April K., and Debbie) to help inspire you to be YOU. And love YOU. The shiny parts. The scared parts. The little parts. The parts that glow in the dark and the parts that get bigger all the time.

And here's the cool part. We're all learning. We're all growing.

Me.

April.

Alisa.

April K.

Debbie.

And YOU!

Think of this as a big massive game - the game of joy and life.

And this is where my 1/5 of the Inspire Team, Mr. Happy Ganesh, gets on his party hat and starts dancing around. Because Happy Ganesh is all about bringing you back to joy, finding your creative spirit, and empowerment through a variety of sources, whether it is through astrology, creative manifestation, or messages from your loved ones.

Twice the fun!

Using Fear As a Bridge

2011-01-22T22:16:00.001-05:00

[caption id="attachment_110" align="alignleft" width="224" caption="It's the Journey, Not the Destination, When Using Fear as a Bridge"][/caption]

It's not the destination, it's the journey. How often do we hear that? To focus on the process and not the outcome?

And what about fear? How do we use it? What do we do with it? Do we freeze? Get stuck? Eat ourselves alive?

Do we breathe through it? Allow it to go deep, where fear needs to go? Or do we ignore it?

This weekend, I worked with one of my own fears.

This weekend, HG was happy to be a part of Gilda's Club's Arts Day. Gilda's Club is a cancer support community, named for comedian Gilda Rader, who died from breast cancer in 1986.
To return to Gilda's Club was a personal triumph for me.

Ever since the death of my mother in 2007, Fort Lauderdale is often a very emotional place for me to travel. Both my parents died there and I've had to fight my own grief and fear for years. I've thought of it as the "Square of Sadness." I remember well the harried and frenzied trips to and from hospice during mom's final days. And Gilda's Club? Mere moments away. My logical brain does not often care that I live less than an hour from this area. My brain usually hears "Fort Lauderdale" and goes into shock. Death. Horror. Pain. Watching my loved ones slip away from me, leaving me alone. The root of so much. The crux of it all.

A month ago, I told my best friend I didn't need to go.

"There will be other charity events," I said. "There's one right down the street. Maybe I should go to the one that's five minutes away."
"Or you could go back. Didn't you go back last year? Why is this hitting you now?" he asked.

He's right. I did go back last year. I worked an event and I had a wonderful time. But this time?

Oh, this time was a showcase - a parade! - of all my terrors and triggers. Driving to Fort Lauderdale. Past the place where they died. Driving on a highway I hadn't been on alone since February of 2007, where I drove back from the place where my 50-something year old mother lay dying and inarticulate, in a coma.

So, this was my chance to go through it all again. But I wanted to go.

I created Happy Ganesh because I love what the god Ganesh stands for. I believe in joy and the removal of obstacles. I believe in expansion and growing outward. I created Happy Ganesh because I want to hold space in the world for connection between the living and the dead, between life and grief and back to life. I created HG for others to find their own answers by taking part in these things.

Mostly, what I'm finding is that I've also created HG to also hold my own space in the world.

Going back to downtown Fort Lauderdale took on grand proportions, assuming the depth of an international journey. I started preparations early, about a month ago. I sought professional support. I started making lists of my fears, my outcomes. Why I wanted to go back. Why it meant the world for me to go back. And this year, I chose to go forward. I paid the fee. It's for Happy Ganesh, I told myself. You can do good there. You can help make connections between the living and the dead. It's to get out there, to give something back.

At 2 pm the day before, I was ready to bolt. Why should I go back? Why should I even try? Far better to pull on footie pyjamas and watch my 34th episode of Xena. I'd just call and cancel. That's it. I'll mess with my professional and personal integrity, no problem. They'll never know I'm gone. Maybe I can even put my house up for sale and move to Nebraska. I hear it's nice this time of year.

At 10 pm, I was going again. I'd resolved to myself that I was going back for some kind of nebulous reason, that I was not going to die on the thirty-minute commute, and that maybe, just maybe, moving in any direction towards freedom was better than forcing myself to sit in an emotional space that is so, so, so, so READY to move.

It was creaky and scary. I cried when I drove past the hospital. I remembered my mother. My heart raced when I first hit the highway. But then, something strange happened.

I remembered that this was fun.

That before everything, I used to love this route. Before I knew it, I rolled the windows down. I sang along to whatever pop rock was on the radio. Before I knew it, I pulled into the parking lot.

And I found nothing but joy on the other end of my fear. NOTHING BUT JOY. I met with old friends I hadn't seen in ages. I lit luminary candles for my parents. I made new friends and helped new clients. I felt blessed and expansive - something inside grew bigger in response to moving through my fear.

How do you feel when you move through fear?

Do you let it guide you? Do you push it away? Drop into it? Ignore it? How do YOU work with fear? It's a powerful tool and a powerful teacher. Do you let fear tell you where the pain is?

The 13th Zodiac Sign Causes Mass Hysteria... It's All Okay.

2011-01-14T00:25:00.001-05:00

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="295" caption="This About Sums It Up."][/caption]

I knew something was afoot when I had a freaked out and confused message from my Aries pal, Nick. "Have you heard this? There's a thirteenth zodiac sign! Apparently, I'm a Pisces." There was a long silence as he tried to wrap his brain around this one. When I got the message, I was astounded as well.

My Aries pal is as Aries as they come. He's a staunch self-starter, a fire-brand through and through. He's currently running two businesses and somewhere in there, he finds time to sleep and go to the bathroom. While he has Piscean planets, the idea of his sun sign, which casts your entire solar chart, turning backwards one entire sign? Clearly unthinkable.

My Aries-turned-Pisces friend is not the first innocent bystander of the recent "13th Zodiac Sign" kaffuffle.

Hundreds, if not thousands, of people have been wandering around since the story broke Tuesday, looking at themselves in the mirror and in the windows of storefronts, confused about their astrological identity. Twitter has been blowing up (as noted in the CNN story below) with frantic tweets of people wondering if they need to surgically remove the Scorpio tattoo and replace it with a more accurate one (Gotta love your Scorpios!).

Ghostbusters Venkman, Egon, and Spengler are also clearly upset. They're not sure of their sun signs either.

It made Yahoo! news and my good friend, Astrologer-Singer Solaris weighted in, amused, to wonder if *this* 13th Sign business might be all that 2011-2012 predictions were about, after all.

Which led to me pacing and hitting the books tonight. Does this mean that 4000 years of astrological knowledge has just, with one quirk of the cosmos, been rendered useless? For my money, not until the next 2011 crop of astrology textbooks includes this 13th sign. Not until all the charts and ephemerides change. At that point, I might become (and now I'm sounding like the detail-oriented Virgo that I might be!) buried in paperwork and adjusting to a world in which the old ways don't work. But that day is thankfully not today.

Relax. Shhhh. It's ok. See? CNN said it's ok. (Read their article and get the facts here.)

No worries, friends. My Aries friend is still an Aries. And you are whatever sun sign you began the week as, when this story exploded the internet. That's the official Happy Ganesh weigh in.

Capricorn and Libra Square Dance, While Venus Sag, Mars Aquarius Push Us Forward!

2011-01-13T19:26:00.001-05:00

[caption id="attachment_123" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Mars in Aquarius on 1/15!"][/caption]

We're dealing with some harsh energy right now, as the Sun in Capricorn squares off to the Saturn in Libra. It's a cardinal energy fight to the finish as these two leadership signs stage a push-me-pull-you in the heavens. Since Capricorn and Libra energy are squared, Sun Capricorn's plodding, slow and steady climb to the top will conflict with Saturn Libra's more duo-oriented energy. Got lots of Libra or Capricorn in your chart? You may feel the push-pull in houses ruled by Capricorn or Libra. Once the sun sign changes to Aquarius in late January, this energy will calm down.

As of Jan 7th, Venus, the planet of romantic love, moved off of Scorpio's intense, True Blood style of lovin' and into philosophical, blunt, easy-going, fun Venus in Sagittarius. Sag Venus energy may kick up our own sense of big-time adventure. Creative projects may get international legs (Venus rules creativity, Sagittarius rules travel and all things international) and expand beyond your wildest dreams. If Sagittarius planets are in your 5th (love affairs) or your 7th house (partnership), you may wind up with a Sag-style lover: a larger-than-life, humorous traveler!

Jupiter (planet of expansion, and Sag's ruler) and Uranus (planet of sudden change, and the ruler of Aquarius) are conjunct, united in dreamy Piscean energy. Simply put, we'll be guided to change and expand. But how?

Mars is in rebellious Aquarius from January 15th to February 22. So how are we going to accomplish all those New Year's resolution of ours? At least until late February (when Mars moves out of this sign), Aquarius holds the key. Go where you've never gone before. Mars is the planet of motivation and anger. In Capricorn, it gave off a solid, stable energy. In Aquarius, Mars needs to shake things up in an unpredictable, community based way. Random science experiments on passing strangers? Bring it. Tap dancing in the town square? Yes, please. The weirder and more unpredictable your goals are, the more you're being guided to just get on with it and do it.

What will all this new energy do for you? Contact me here to book a reading!

Image: Wasserman http://search.creativecommons.org/?q=aquarius#

Happy Ganesh interviewed bestselling young adult author Nancy Garden on TMW Radio!

2010-12-14T00:43:00.002-05:00

"Be true to yourself and your own dreams. Remember that you're supposed to be who you really are. Whether you're straight or GLBT, or a dreamer or a doer, an artist or a scientist, a person who works with others or who works alone, all of those things are ok, if they are you, if they are honestly who you are." -- Bestselling Author Nancy Garden, in tonight's interview

------------------------

I am delighted to report that the Nancy Garden interview aired tonight on April Claxton's The Movement Within Radio Show!

It was the fulfillment of a dream to talk to Nancy Garden, who is the author of over 35 books for children and teens, including the groundbreaking and controversial 1982 novel Annie on My Mind. She's a woman who has learned to stand up to injustice, and is a passionate defender of free speech. Whether she's writing for children or teens, her books explore universal themes, from love and self-acceptance to courage and tolerance. Above all, she writes about what it means to be yourself and accept yourself unconditionally. I was honored to interview one of my personal heroes tonight.

Garden's books have won several awards from the American Library Association, and have enjoyed critical and worldwide acclaim. In the 90s, Annie on My Mind was the subject of a censorship suit and won with help from the American Library Association, and the American Civil Liberties Union.

Garden and I spoke about issues of personal bravery, tolerance, and courage. We also discussed bullying in schools and ways to stop it - and ways to provide support.

If you are reading this and know someone who is bullied in school FOR ANY REASON, please know that that child is are not alone. Please help that child to know that they are beautiful and perfect just the way they are.

If you know of a young adult who needs support for GLBTQ issues, please go to The Trevor Project, or Lisa Smith's wonderful brainchild Outminds.net.

To learn more about general bullying support groups, check out OvercomeBullying.org.

All my love and light to you out there. Thank you for being who you are and showing up for your life. There are so many lights within us and together, we can light up the world.

Love, love, love. And more love.

HG December Newsletter - and Full Moon AND Eclipse in Gemini!

2010-12-10T22:07:00.001-05:00

[caption id="attachment_117" align="alignleft" width="278" caption="Happy Holidays from Happy Ganesh!!!"][/caption]

There are many big astrological changes coming our way. We've just passed the New Moon in Sagittarius, with all of its manifestation potential, and we're heading into a Capricorn Mercury in Retrograde on Friday, December 10th. What does this mean?

Mercury and Mars
As always, keep receipts for electronics and make allowances for the possibility of technology and travel dragging their metaphorical feet. As with any Retro, we're looking at old friends returning. However, with both Mercury Retro and Mars in sturdy, slow-up-the-hill Capricorn, we're deep in the slow learning process. Communication (Retro) may seem frustrating, but with Mars (motivation/sex) in Capricorn, we're going to be buoyed upwards on the lessons we're learning. Some sample Mars Capricorn issues may be:

Turning away from the flighty for the substantial.

Accepting that slow growth is often the best.

Making difficult and important decisions about long term plans.

Being attracted to Capricorn "types" - serious, clear-eyed folks who value substance over flash.

RESPONSIBILITY - for your own "mountain climb" to the top.

Also, Mars and Mercury meet on the 13th, giving us insight into our path.

The New and Full Moons AND a Lunar Eclipse!

We've just passed through the New Moon in Sagittarius on the 5th, and the Full Moon in Gemini on December 21 will close out the cycle. Remember, New Moons open the door to energy; Full Moons close the door and help prepare for a shift. Full Moons help us to let go - and it's believed that they also bring the manifestations and dreams of the New Moon into fruition. However, this one will be a doozy because Dec. 21 not only brings us the Full Moon, but it also brings us a lunar eclipse. So, to sum up, our Full Moon in Gemini on Dec. 21 (at 29 degrees, which will also match with the Sun in Sag at 29 degrees, making for an uber-powerful connection) will also be a lunar eclipse, imbuing us with the power of intense change. Eclipses make their presence known! They bring us the kind of change that we may not see for weeks later - and they also test our boundaries. According to astrologer April Kent, it's during a lunar eclipse that "something wants to be brought into being." The push/pull between the New Moon in Sag and the Full Moon/Eclipse in Gemini will ask us what our beliefs are. Are our beliefs about travel and communication local (Gemini) or international (Sag)?

Curious about how the eclipse will affect you? Want to schedule a reading? Contact me.

As we begin the end of 2010, I wish all of you wonderful joy and health, parties with friends and loved ones, and many blessings!

New Moon in Sagittarius; Upcoming Mercury in Retrograde!

2010-12-03T19:56:00.001-05:00

[caption id="attachment_115" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Sagittarius"][/caption]

New Moon in Sagittarius

Whenever the New Moon comes along, it's time to manifest! The New Moon goes into Sagittarius on December 5, 2010. Sagittarius energy looks at expansive growth. It ushers in a perfect time to manifest luck, communication skills, and anything to do with higher education, travel, or publishing. Sagittarius energy is boisterous, fun, and larger than life! Astrologer Jessica Adams once found that several famous travelers, philosophers, and comedians had Sagittarius in their charts. Among them were Robin Williams, Paul Reiser, and the cast of Monty Python. The New Moon in Sag encourages us to dream big and live large! Enjoy yourself, which is a rather perfect message for this holiday season!

Some sample manifestations for this New Moon might be

I ask for the power to directly say want I mean. (Sags are direct!)

I ask to clearly manifest international travel to ____ country into my life. (Sagittarius energy adores travel - and the further away from home, the better!)

I find myself easily attracting lucky and expansive situations into my life. (Sag energy is naturally lucky!)

I find myself easily enrolling in _____ class. (Sagittarius is the planet of higher education and learning.)

I find myself easily enjoying myself in boisterous and fun situations! (Perfect for the holiday season!!!)

I easily create joy and laughter in my life. (Sagittarius energy loves to laugh and enjoy!)

Mercury in Capricorn (Retrograde) and Mars in Capricorn

Mercury went into earthy Capricorn on November 30th. Now, we're on the cusp of Mercury Retrograde in Capricorn, beginning December 10 and going until December 30. As with all retrogrades (more about that here) this is going to guide us to focus our attention on the areas of communication and travel. To sum up, during a retrograde

Don't sign on the dotted line unless it's for something from your past.

Redo, Rethink, Reflect.

Back up computers.

Careful with spoken or written communication.

Old friends or lovers (with, in this case, Capricorn planets) may resurface during Capricorn Retro in order to heal past events.

However, intuitively, I feel that this retrograde is going to be much softer with us. Why? Because for most of the time that Mercury Capricorn is in Retrograde, it will also be aligning with Mars in Capricorn.

Mars signs bring us our life force. In a natal chart, our Mars sign shows us how we act or react in the areas of sex, motivation, or aggression. It's how we get mad or sexy; it's how we get MOVING. Right now, Mars is in slow-and-steady-wins-the-race Capricorn. Capricorn is a slow climber by nature. Goats achieve their goals carefully and slowly, charting out every step along the way. Ruled by Saturn, Capricorn is ambitious and determined. Plug this energy into Mars and we may feel like we're not getting anywhere. The wonderful thing about Capricorn energy is that it moves us along. Just when we think we've not done anything or we're not moving fast enough, we look down and see we've climbed the entire mountain. This may be a very interesting time, career wise for a lot of people for this reason. Mars in Capricorn will keep us moving, while Mercury (Retrograde) Capricorn will remind us (with the natural look-before-you-leap Capricorn attitude) to slow down and check our communication. As retrogrades go, I feel this one will be fairly stable, due to that.

Want to know more about how these planets will impact you? Schedule a reading with us here or ask us a question here.

Happy Holidays from Happy Ganesh!

Image reprinted with permission from the following source: Jacopo Montano (Uranographia, Johann Bode) [GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons

HG interviews Annie On My Mind's Nancy Garden on TMW Radio! Dec 13th!

2010-11-13T21:30:00.002-05:00

On December 13th at 6:30 PM EST, I'll be be guest hosting my good friend April Claxton's "The Movement Within Radio Show" to interview award winning author Nancy Garden. Nancy Garden is the author of over 35 books for children and teens, including Annie On My Mind (1983) an American Library Association award winner and a Booklist Review's Choice. Annie On My Mind, first published over twenty years ago, depicts the tender love story between two teenage girls and their fight for acceptance and equality. Since its publication, Annie On My Mind has been voted #48 on the ALA's list of 100 Most Frequently Banned or Challenged Books. Garden’s books have an important message for today’s youth, especially those experiencing anti-gay bullying or trying to find their own voice .

Garden continues to explore themes for GLBT and GLBT-friendly youth in her career. I'll talk to her about her experience as a writer, her coming out journey, why her work is so important to GLBT youth today, and how her fiction has helped her and her readers to "Move Within". "Tune In To Move In" with me, as I guest host April's TMW Radio with Nancy Garden on December 13th from 6:30-7:30 EST.

(And a special thanks to The Movement Within's CEO April Claxton , who is generously letting me co-host her wonderful radio talk show, and whose love, energy, and endless inspiration touch all around her.)

-------

Happy Ganesh is also a proud supporter of the It Gets Better anti-bullying project. Happy Ganesh, Inc. is all about breaking through barriers - and hate can be a strong barrier, especially if sometimes it feels like the whole world is against you and you're feeling lost and alone. Geared towards GLBT or questioning teens in response to the recent rash of suicides (among them, 15-year-old Billy Lucas), the It Gets Better project features wonderful, inspirational videos from politicians like President Obama or Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, to entertainers like Kathy Griffin and Glee's Chris Coffer, or businesses like Gap, to brave, inspirational, everyday people willing to share their stories of how their lives "Got Better".

It Gets Better/Trevor Project was begun to spread hope and prevent bullying-related suicides among GLBT youth but the message of love, acceptance, and hope is for ALL humanity. This is for anyone who's ever felt taunted, abused, hurt, or shamed. This is for anyone who's ever wondered if their situation will improve or how they are going to make it another day. This is about letting out your own light and letting it shine, shine, shine with self-love and pride. Be proud of who you are. Every inch. Warts and all.

For more GLBTQ support, go to Outminds, a wonderful web-based network of support and acceptance run by some very, very old friends of mine. They're good people and they'll treat you right. Tell 'em Happy Ganesh sent you!

If we work together, and let our voices of love and tolerance shine, there is no room for hate. Don't give up. You are loved, infinitely.

It Gets Better.

:)

Marissa

Journeys and Destinations

2010-11-12T17:02:00.002-05:00

I believe travel and spirituality are entwined. By moving out of our daily box, we see the bigger picture. You get on an airplane, you feel the world around you move and shift. And WOOSH! You're in a whole new place - and like all vacations - you only have a small bit of time to explore. Travel and spirituality. The line between who you were to who you are becoming.

For example, Eat, Pray, Love has encouraged a universal journey, largely geared towards women, but global enough for people to embrace their hearts, go into the dark and through the dark to find the missing broken pieces and to learn to live from them and to breathe new life into what you never had before. However, the journey talked about in EPL is self-contained. The journey has a start (Italy), a middle (India) and an end (Bali).

As a good friend of mine pointed out, most spiritual journeys do not stay within geographical borders and are not neatly packaged.

Most journeys that remake us, uplift us, kill us, and rebirth us do not come with a passport or an overnight stop to a perfect Italian hideaway or a spiritual retreat in India. Most journeys begin when our lives crumble underneath us, or when we realize that the way we've been doing things has attracted the same things again and again. At least, that's the way every story or biography of travelers that I've ever read has begun.

And that's when we go down fighting. We fight for a while - and then we collapse a little and give up. We say "Ok, I can't control it anymore." (I'm a pretty big, dyed-in-the-wool control freak so this is a hard one for me.) Surrender means trusting something better is out there and that, whatever it is, you are not in control. And then, things change.

Say what now? Did you say change? Omigod, change!

We start journeys of all kinds for a number of different reasons - but one of the biggest reasons are accidental - that things are just not working anymore and things either stall or we slowly begin to move. We can't see where we are. We can see the ground under our feet, but not the path in front of us. And so, we just go, day by day, until it changes. By "it", it's usually us who change, who rise to meet a new level.

That's part of the popularity of Eat, Pray, Love. In both the book and the movie, Liz Gilbert goes on a Big Massive (Sagittarius style) Journey when her marriage ends. I think the book and movie worked to get pop culture (mostly women) thinking about eastern religions and what a deeper, more spiritual path might mean to them. I enjoyed EPL. We even ran a manifestation class inspired by Eat, Pray, Love. And it's a wonderful message, to open your own door to happiness.

But for my money, I'll take On Pilgrimage (1992) by Jennifer (Jini) Lash, the mother of actors Joseph (Shakespeare in Love) and Ralph Fiennes (The Harry Potter movies). Diagnosed with fatal breast cancer, Jennifer Lash was given only a short time to live. Her doctor told her to make her arrangements and find peace with her life, to prepare for the end, quietly, at her home in the English countryside. He told her to call her seven children home and enjoy the last, precious months.

Jini Lash said No. She would not go gentle into that good night.

Determined to feed her soul and to explore her own love for religion and for her life, she packed a rucksack and made plans. Three weeks after major surgery she left England to embark on her own vision quest and to discover what the intersection of spirituality, illness, love, and God meant to her. She traveled from Spain to France to visit spots of "contemporary Christian piligrimage" and ended her journey at Santiago de Compostela. It's a beautiful book and Jini's style is intimate and random, as if the entire thing was lifted from her private travel journals. "Because of my recent experience of cancer, and all the obviously looking at life and death in a new way, it seemed clear that I had been voting myself out of life and diving for the dark. Considering Death had meant considering Life. I had made a firm decision towards life [which] instinctively meant going back to base, considering roots, the depths of things" (Lash, 28). In 1986 she died from breast cancer shortly after her return to England.

We're going through a lot of astrological changes right now, which make me think of both Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love and Jennifer Lash's On Pilgrimage. We're being forced right now, with Venus still in Retrograde until 11/18, to consider the depths of our relationships and our individual needs. With Uranus Retrograding in Pisces until December 6th, we're encouraged to study the dreamy depths of our rebellious sides. With Saturn in Libra until 2012, we're learning hard but welcome and important partnership lessons of all kinds - what we to establish a give and take in relationships, the same way that Jennifer Lash learned to establish a 'relationship' with God and the unknown. Chiron, the sign of the Wounded Healer, returns to Aquarius, and shakes us awake from the depth of our own routines. We probe through the darkness of our own wounds, yearning to heal them. With Chiron in Aquarius until Feb of 2011, we're destined to awake to our deep wounds and begin to learn how to heal them - in a community-oriented, big picture kind of way.

If you're curious as to how these big changes are going to impact you, contact me here.

Here's Jennifer (Jini) Lash on change, spirituality, the open road, and the unknown:

"Maybe energy is the means of meaning. Endlessly transforming, never able by its very nature to finally unlive."

"I was finding more and more that alone on a dusty road was home. I felt like a fog back at last in its basket. The heat was oppressive but the unknown street ahead was such a joy."

"Her departure was an act of faith, as all true love must be. An act of trust towards a transforming force."

An act of trust towards a transforming force. Bingo. Whether we call it love, God, life or death, trusting in the moment and in the road ahead may be hard and a little cloudy, but deeply needed. We've got so much celestial support for these changes, how can we stand still?

To the unknown streets and transforming forces,

Marissa

Hodgepodge

2010-10-27T23:04:00.001-04:00

[caption id="attachment_104" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Happy Halloween!"][/caption]

First of all, a shout-out to all the people who came out to Modern Zen's Round Robin event. You may be reading this because you added your name to my mailing list that night. We had a fantastic time. Intuitive messages get the energy moving and it's a (trick or) treat to meet so many new people.

The four-Monday astrology class goes into its second evening on November 1. We'll be talking about Venus and Mars signs. Local and want to sign up? Contact Modern Zen. To see the class schedule, go here. Want a private astrology session? Contact me.

BOOKS!!

If you like reading fiction or nonfiction books about spirituality, check out our Facebook page to join the new Happy Ganesh Book Discussion Group! The HG Book Discussion Group focuses on fiction or nonfiction books about inner growth, spirituality (of ALL denominations), the creative process, spirituality/travel, intimate relationships, and being more present in life. These are topics that I love to explore.
Right now, The Cloister Walk by American poet Kathleen Norris is a new favorite. Award-winning poet Kathleen Norris lived with monks for a year and in that time, explored her own sense of creativity and the Divine. She discusses in the book her own growth as a poet in the silence and schedule of living within a religious community. She also goes into how this year-long experience helped her to see her marriage in a new light, as well as her relationship with her creative forces. Norris's other books are "Dakota: A Spiritual Geography" and "Amazing Grace".

Have you read this book too? What do you think? Thoughts welcome.

What are you favorite books on these subjects? What books have opened you to new ideas? To joy? To challenging yourself? To creative exploration?

Have a safe and happy halloween.

In friendship,

Marissa,

Happy Ganesh President

Image Credit: lobo235

Scorpio Energy At Its Finest

2010-10-15T12:12:00.002-04:00

As we move through October and head into November in a few weeks, intensity will rule the skies. This is for a few different reasons. We have both Venus and Mars in passionate, intense, supernatural Scorpio!

Scorpio: Passion, Determination, and Loyalty

Scorpio energy loves passion and determination, sex and death, vampires, ghosts, deep secrets and revenge. Scorps like nothing better than intensity and passion. Scorpio (or Scorpio-influenced) friends need to know that you’ll be there for them through hell and back. Scorpio lovers need to know that you appreciate their determination, deep emotions, and emotional bravery. Flakes need not apply. So what happens when we have both Venus (the planet of love) and Mars (the planet of sex, motivation, and aggression) in this intense water sign?

Venus is in Scorpio from September 8, 2010 to November 7^th, and Venus retrogrades from October 8^th to November 18^th. (Venus will slip back into Libra from November 7 to November 29^th.) Venus is the planet of love and value and Venus in Scorpio will force us to ask ourselves about our relationship values. What is working or not working? With Scorpio’s characteristic black-or-white mentality, the relationships that can withstand will truly be able to stand up under the spotlight of Scorpion intensity. Venus in Scorpio – and Scorpio energy in general – must know that intentions match actions. Pretty words will not work with this energy. People with many Scorpio planets must know that you will go deep with them, and support them (and make love to them) from hell to breakfast. The positive sides of Scorpio include passion, intensity, piercing/psychic insight, and emotional fearlessness. The negative sides? Obsession, control issues, fury, and power-tripping.

However, Venus is a little bit out of alignment in Scorpio (Venus is in its natural home in Taurus or Libra, both ruled by Venus.) Venus in Scorpio is like expecting the goddess of love to show up in your bedroom, only to find a True Blood character instead. Love = major, bone-tingling intensity, if not downright blood and guts and things that go bump in the night. (Perfect for Halloween!)

Venus in Retrograde

Any time we have a Retrograde period, that planet is moving backwards through the skies, making the natural lessons of that planet hard to learn. When Venus is Direct, we'll be learning about love, pleasure, and feeling good. When Venus is in Retro, pleasure might feel a little...well...backwards. However, Retrogrades encourage us to redo, recreate, or remake. Venus will be coming on strong this season. Let the buyer beware – new lovers or partnerships formed in a Retrograde are usually found lacking by the end of the cycle. Venus also rules beauty and beautification projects, so with this spicy sign in Retro, Venus pursuits such as clothing, romance, or pampering (for the body or the home) may backfire.

The exception to this rule is things coming back from the past – I wouldn’t recommend starting up with a new lover during a Venus Retro unless the partner is , for example, an old lover returning or reuniting. Any reunion of former lovers (or other kinds of previous partners, such as friends or business partners) is favorable now or may bring closure. We may find ourselves in touch with former lovers or old relationship/partnership issues more so in this cycle. Reflect, renew, and recycle things, but please put off any big decisions about love or money (remember, Venus rules values, which includes money) until Venus goes direct on November 18^th. Even though Venus will change signs (from Scorpio to Libra on November 7^th) , it will not change the fact that it will still be in Retrograde, so the level of intensity may change, but not the position.

Scorpio Mars: The Spiritual Warrior

And what about Mars, God of War? He’s in Scorpio from September 14^th to October 27, 2010. Mars loves Scorpio because it’s in the natural placement (Mars rules Scorpio and Aries – the spiritual warrior and the forthright warrior, respectively.) Mars in Scorpio loves determined challenges, getting to the bottom of mysteries, and trusting personal intuition to overcome hardship or confusion. Let Mars in Scorpio help you get to the direct root of your problems; let him use the surgeon’s scalpel to trim the excess fat away from your life. In the magical and perceptive energy of Scorpio, all things can be renewed. Also, since both Venus and Mars are in Scorpio, they are working together to bring insight about relationships. As I said in the the Blazing Blog last week, Mars is Venus's henchman. He wants to fight for her.

We have a lot of wonderful, intense energy coming our way over the next six weeks. In the end, it can only serve to sever weak relationships/partnerships and to make strong unions (of all kinds) even more productive.

Want to find out how this intense and transformative Scorpio energy is going to impact you? Contact me to find out more.

Also, interested in the brand new Astrology Class coming up at Modern Zen on October 25? Click here for details! Not local and still want to come? No worries. Once the class is over, check back for podcasts from the class!

Image: Paul Garland

Blazing Blog: Scorpio Planets!

2010-10-10T08:37:00.001-04:00

In which Bob Decker and I discuss cards and their relationship to the now-present Scorpio energy. We've got quite a cluster with Venus in powerful Scorpio on the retrograde, and supported by Mars in Scorpio. Click to learn more!

Let the Birthday Party Begin!!!!

2010-10-08T10:13:00.001-04:00

Happy birthday to yoooooou

Happy birthday to yoooooou

Happy birthday, dear Happy Ganesh....

Happy birthday to yoooooou!!!

Your party favors are up! If you purchase a half-hour or hour-long reading between October 8th at 10 AM (EST) and October 9th at 6 PM (EST), you get $10 off! It's our gift to you because Happy Ganesh believes in hard work -- but he also believes in thanking friends for support.

To take advantage of your party favor, please click here.

Remember, you can have a distance reading even if you're local - or anywhere in the world. Want one but can't get out of work? Stuck in traffic? No problem. Contact us on your lunch hour. Or we'll be at Modern Zen today and tomorrow. We look forward to your visit.

Whether its through fostering communication with the living and departed loved ones, or encouraging self-expression and self-empowerment through manifestation and astrological classes and coaching, we're delighted to be here for you. (For information on the upcoming astrology class, please go here.)

Thank you again for being a part of our journey and allowing us to be a part of yours.

All blessings,

Marissa

President of Happy Ganesh

2010-10-05T20:50:00.001-04:00

You are cordially invited to celebrate a very special event: Ganesh will be one on October 9th, sharing a birthday with Beatle John Lennon. (This makes Happy Ganesh prone to dancing around the HG offices to "You Say It's Your Birthday!")

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HAPPY GANESH!!!!!!!!

He's a big, happy, dancing half-child, half-god. He represents many things to us here at Happy Ganesh.

Hope. Letting go. A willingness to play and learn and dance. He represents the connection that exists when we help you make contact with your own answers. He represents the eternal love between people, whether living or dead. When HG helps you connect with intuitive messages, and the creativity that comes with our manifestation classes and coaching, and the raw self-empowerment of astrological information -- that's what Happy Ganesh is all about.

And, on October 9th, 2010, Happy Ganesh will be one whole year old!

You've helped us get there.

And we'd like to thank YOU. For letting HG help you find your own internal answers and for trusting us with your deepest questions. In thanks, Happy Ganesh has party favors for you!

On October 8th and 9th only starting at 10 AM (EST) and ending on October 9th 6 PM (EST), we're proud to say that we're going to be offering half-hour or hour long readings for $10 off!

Also, print out this page and bring it to Modern Zen in order to get $2.00 off the individually purchased astrology class sessions, which begin on 10/25! (Class packages not included in this offer.) Want to learn more about the upcoming Astrology Class? Go here.

As always, distance readings are available. All readings book up fast so please be sure to contact us for appointment times. If you're local, I'll be reading at Modern Zen on October 8th and 9th by appointment.

It's largely by appointment, so, please contact us for availability!

(Also, we've received several questions about the specially commissioned cartoon drawing of Happy Birthday, Ganesh! He was created expressively for us by Clayfoot Jones's very own Nick Moore. He's nifty and talented - and can create business cards, too! Check him out here.)

Thank you for a wonderful year.

With love,

Marissa

President of Happy Ganesh, Inc.

Think Different.

2010-09-26T11:37:00.001-04:00

Be you and dance. If you can think it, it can happen.

"The people who think they are crazy enough to change the world, are the ones who do."

2010-09-25T20:38:00.001-04:00

Well, it's been a while, admittedly. My trip to San Fran was wonderful - and when I came back my computer was not working. That's why I've had a low profile for the last three weeks. But now, I'm back and all things Happy Ganesh are ready and waiting.

Happy Ganesh Turns One!!!

This is the biggie. On October 9th, HG turns one! Happy Birthday, Happy Ganesh!!! To your left is one of our very favorite photos of Ganesh. Ganesh, the smasher of obstacles, the God of writing and joy, and our mascot ...is also a birthday boy. (Birthday God?)

Anyhow, Happy Ganesh is very excited to be celebrating his first birthday . He is also very excited to be sharing his birthday with Beatle John Lennon

Imagine...what wonderful, soul-healing joy Happy Ganesh will get up to for his first birthday. If pictures are leaked on the internet, of Happy Ganesh covered from head to toe in cake while jamming to "Strawberry Fields", well, that's just how HG rolls.

He'd like to thank you for coming to the party for the last year. In thanks, watch for some very special sales on Friday October 8 and Saturday October 9th. You'll be able to take advantage of the sales whether you are local, national, or even international. Thank you for visiting HG and for your friendship.

It's been a wonderful first year of business. From the day I stood in the bank office, filling out forms, to the very first official HG mediumship session, to the first professional engagement in support of women with cancer at Gilda's Club's Glamour in the Garden event last March, it's been a year of growth, of potential, and of questions answered.

It's also been a year of connection. One of the most important tasks at Happy Ganesh is intuitive and mediumship readings. Through those, Happy Ganesh can help people communicate with departed loved ones. Those sessions are beautiful in so many ways and are proof to both myself and my clients that relationships and connection are eternal. Nothing we are dies. The manifestation coaching, astrological services, and blog posts have also been very important in making and keeping the connections between us alive.

Manifestation reminds us that living is a creative process and that every choice we make is a step toward living into our deepest desires, stepping more firmly onto our paths to become who we are. Astrology gives us logical tools to make choices.

Thank you for your business, for your trust, and for your willingness to follow whatever personal spiritual path you hold dear. Hats off to the movers, the seekers, the questioners, and those who dance to the beat of their own drummer. It all starts with you.

The Newsletter

Some of you have been receiving monthly newsletters from HG. Those newsletters are going to be replaced by blog entries (online newsletters). Notifications of sales may still go out via email. If you get a "confirm" email from HG, asking if you want to subscribe to the blog, please hit "yes" to continue receiving astrological, intuitive, and manifestation information!

Pardon Our Dust: The Manifestation Class Is Under Construction

The Manifestation Class will be canceled for the week of 9/30 and will be on hiatus until further notice.

HG will return shortly with a weekly class, and will return refreshed and renewed shortly. The form of the class may change, but the great information and lively format will still be the same. Votes for a weekly class? Drop me a line and let me know what you'd like HG to teach! We're open to suggestions.

Upcoming Astrological Class!

Starting Monday October 25th from 7-8 PM, I will be teaching a four-week astrology class at Modern Zen. Topics will be

10/25 Sun, Moon, and Rising Signs

11/1 Venus and Mars

11/8 Compatibility

11/15 North and South Nodes: Karmic Debts

Individual classes are $30 or $110 for all four classes (save 10!). If you are local, please pay by contacting Modern Zen or by making checks out to Happy Ganesh and bringing them into the store.

If you are not local and want to learn more about these topics, don't worry! An online component will be here soon.

Thank you for reading, for taking part in your own joyful dances, and for letting HG into your hearts (and your inbox!) for the last year. I look forward to the next several years with Ganesh and with you.

Take care,

Marissa

New Moon in Virgo on Sept 8th

2010-09-03T11:21:00.002-04:00

Last night in class, we discussed the upcoming New Moon in Virgo on Sept 8th. It goes into effect early that morning, at around 5:53 AM.(Manifesting the night before will be just fine. No need to get up that early.)

As you may have read before here and here, the new moon opens doors, while full moons close them.

If you want to manifest using the energy of the New Moon in Virgo, it's a great time to focus on

issues surrounding clarity and organization (ex: "I want to easily find myself organizing my office.")
issues surrounding physical health and the mind body connection (One of the things that Virgo does very well is highlight areas and connections between your mind, body, and spirit that are not working - in order to show you how to improve it.)
work and career issues
your own tendency to nitpick your life or the lives of others
editing and writing; schoolwork (Virgo is the sign of the student and writer/editor.)
creating healthy routines (For some people, this means creating a schedule out of chaos, for others it means taking personal time to relax.)

Here's a list of key words to work with.

Virgo

Green

Career

Work

Clarity

Schedules

Time

Editing

Proofreading

Homework

School

University

Schoolbooks

Diet

Health

Food

good health

strong body

clear intent

looking at what is right, rather than what is wrong

exchanging worry for relaxation

lower stomach healing (Parts of the body that deal with bowel movements and stomach issues)

The New Moon in Virgo is an open gateway, as are all New Moons - and since we're also in Retrograde til the 12th (more about that here), this period, thanks to Retrograde, will actually, according to astrologer Robert Wilkenson, will actually stabilize us, forcing us to make choices that will improve and stabilize the overall picture, even if it does not remotely seem that way. Here's the good thing about all of this Virgo energy - wherever Mercury ruled signs (Gemini or Virgo) fall in your chart is where you will see the influx of ideas that may lead to publishing, communication, and writing opportunities.

Thanks for reading. I was thinking today, as I work with Happy Ganesh and watch it (and myself in relation to my business and work) grow and change, how lucky I am that I can wake up, do this, and be supported.

Til next time,

Marissa

Photo Credit: zeevveez

2010-08-30T20:06:00.001-04:00

Last week, starting on August 24, the Full Moon was in Pisces. What's that about? Well, forget about it being opposite the Virgo Retro (messing up electronics and communication until 9/12!), the Full Moon in Pisces was a whole bag of wax all by itself.

Full Moons end cycles. It's the cosmos closing the door on a chapter of your life. If you know where Pisces is in your chart, that is likely where you felt the effect. (If you're curious about your chart, go to Astro.com for free charts or contact me here for a proper, full length astrology reading.)

To use the same idea we used with the New Moon, here are some themes or issues that may have been closed out.

Fish

anything to do with a certain kind of dream or spirituality

religious ideas

the ocean

the beach

psychic concepts

ghosts/spirits/imagination

I had one client ask me in horror, "So the Full Moon in Pisces takes away dreams?" No, no, no. It just means that a certain type of dream or Piscean-themed issue may not be working for you anymore, and the universe will remove it for a time. For example, I had a client with Pisces in her 2nd house of money realize that a certain way of dealing with her finances was not working anymore. The kicker? The client's money was tied up in a beach front condo. Very Pisces! (And very Full Moon in Pisces.)

The Full Moon in Pisces also highlights mysteries, depth, and keen imagination. Did you feel keenly emotional about the mysteries of life, daydreaming or spirituality? Then you were feeling the effects of the Piscean Full Moon.

Next time, we'll talk about the New Moon in Virgo. The Manifestation class preparing for that

will be on Thursday, 9/2 at 7:45 PM at Modern Zen and the actual New Moon in Virgo will happen on Sept 8th 2010.

Just a reminder = that there will be no class (and no blog update) the week of 9/9. Classes will resume the following Thursday and so will updates!

-----

Here's the most recent Blazing Blog with Bob Decker - man, do we ever have fun.

Until next time,

Marissa

(Photo Credit: Shudrbug.)

New Date: Eat Pray Love class moved to 9/16

2010-08-23T00:52:00.001-04:00

Due to travel plans, the second Eat Pray Love - inspired Manifestation Class Thursday (7:45p) at Modern Zen will be moved from 9/9 to 9/16. There will be no class on 9/9. Class will resume as usual the following week.

2010-08-20T13:07:00.001-04:00

Last night our Manifestation Class became a passport to all things travel related.

The class was geared around and inspired by Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love. Spirituality and travel were our keywords for the evening. Armed with magazines, scissors, glue sticks, and a healthy sense of adventure, we snipped our way into exotic destinations. We also used prompts directly related to spirituality and travel.

I know a lot of people expressed interest in this particular EPL-inspired travel class. Couldn't make it? No worries. I'll be holding another one on September 9th! The cost of the class is $10. Bring a journal and an questioning heart.

Want to manifest from home? Here's some sample prompts from last night:

Elizabeth, in both the book and the movie version of EPL, is trying to “find her word”, which is “Antevasin” – a Sanskrit word meaning “one who lives at the border.” What is one word that sums up your travels? That expresses you on your spiritual path?

Elizabeth goes to Italy (where she finds pleasure), India (where she comes to terms with her past), and Bali (where she finds balance and love). Where do you dream of going? What would your journey look like?

Here is the class schedule for the next few weeks.

8/26 - AstroManifesting: Full moon in Pisces and Mercury in Retrograde (*Bring birthdate and time for a mini-interpretation*)

9/2 - AstroManifesting: New Moon in Virgo

9/9 - Eat, Pray, Love Travel Class! (for those who could not attend the first time!)

9/16 – TBA

9/23 – AstroManifesting: Full Moon in Aries/Libra

9/30 - TBA

Have a great weekend!

Take care,

Marissa

Blazing Blog and UK Band Bloc Party's "Mercury in Retrograde"

2010-08-19T14:20:00.001-04:00

It's that time again. Bob and I are back! (Due to some now resolved computer issues, but better late than never!) We talk about the Princess of Disks (Page of Coins), Judgement, and 4 of cups. Click below to see how these cards impact your week.

Also, here's a musical accompaniment to Mercury in Retrograde! As of tomorrow, August 20, we'll be in Virgo Mercury Retrograde. (In order to read more about it, go here.) I love this song - it's rare that bands talk about astrology in their songs, but the lyrics to this one are pretty dead on. No, this is NOT a good time to sign a lease or find a new love - or start anything new.

Turn it up to eleven.

Til next time,

Marissa

(This video belongs to Bloc Party and was posted by jimbodoteleven . The copyright, the lyrics, and the song all are Bloc Party's.)

2010-08-17T20:52:00.001-04:00

Last Wednesday, my computer refused to do things like hold power or charge itself. I called the Help Desk. A few more moments and I had a human on the phone. Derrick, to whom I will gladly donate a kidney or lung, was able to send me a power cord free of charge. Problem 1, solved.

However, while I was fixing Problem 1, Problems 2, 3, and 4 were erupting like boils. I even pictured them as small flash fires, proceeded by a popping sound, something like what Westley and Buttercup encounter in The Fire Swamp. In short order, while I was on the phone with my computer company, my printer decided that it didn't like ink anymore and stopped printing. The publishers were unable to open any kind of word file I sent them. And, best of all, Florida was hit with enough wind and rain to uproot the Titanic, resulting in an air conditioning unit that dripped over the ceiling, down the wall, and inches away from a freshly laid floor.

Pop, pop, pop!

After calling A/C people, I went to Office Depot to print out what I needed. I stood there, a jump drive in one hand, 57 pages of an editing assignment in the other, with a crazed, wild eyed look on my face, as I explained to the computer guy the many ways that electronic items can break, causing a perfectly ordered life to go off the rails in a matter of hours. I may have even sobbed. I am not sure.

"It just doesn't make SENSE!" I ranted, red-eyed and panting. "How on earth could everything in my entire office break? Everything! My computer isn't charging. My printer doesn't want to use ink to print and it has brand new cartridges! And there is a three foot rain leak in my upstairs hallway, despite the fact that I've just checked the roof and the A/C unit!"

"Well," he said, sitting back and giving me his best Gandalf face. "That just sounds like a vortex of odd."

Vortex of Odd.

Or as astrologers call it, Mercury in Retrograde.

Here's the thing. I'm an astrologer. I understand the power of Mercury in Retrograde, how to harness it, how to make the most of it. And I have no normal recollection of last Wednesday or Thursday.

We were in Retrograde Shadow, which began about two weeks before the actual retrograde. Currently, we're still in shadow, but if this story is any example, I'm sure you must also be feeling the effects of the upcoming Mercury Virgo Retrograde.

For the uninitiated, a Retrograde is when a planet moves backwards in the heavens. Mercury is the planet of communication and travel. When it goes backwards, it means that written or verbal communication may be more confusing than usual. Travel plans may go awry.

We are in Mercury in Retrograde from August 20 (aprox 4pm EST) to Sept 12 (aprox 7pm EST).

Mercury in Retrograde gets a bad rap for stories like mine. It can cause computers and phones to die without warning. Whole computers may need to be airlifted to hospital wards. To keep yourself sane, here’s some tips about how to survive and even thrive during retrograde.

Don’t sign on the dotted line if you can help it.

Double and triple check travel plans

Double and triple check anything in writing

Wait out any big decisions if you can help it.

The good parts of Retro?

Ample chances to wait it out and redo.

Old friends or family coming back

Old communications working for you instead of against you

If want to know more about how Mercury in Retrograde will affect you, email me about a reading. I am available for in-person and distance readings. Pop over to the Contact page and drop me a line!

2010-08-07T17:13:00.001-04:00

In the recent manifestation class on August 5th, 2010, I discussed New Moon Manifestation, specifically the New Moon in Leo. The New Moon will be in Leo on August 9th, moving from Cancer into Leo at approximately 11:08 PM.

New Moons and Full Moons

We can use New Moons to harness fresh energy. Full Moons do the opposite - help us to get rid of old energy or close out old issues or projects. And while we're on the topic, what is a New Moon?

A New Moon is when both the sun and the moon fall in the same sign. This creates a clear flow of that sign's energy. On August 9th, both the sun and the moon will be in Leo. (Full Moons are when the moon is in the opposite sign from the sun. For example, a Full Moon would be Sun in Leo/Moon in Aquarius or vice versa.

New Moons and Manifestation

The New Moon in Leo on 8/9 will be in effect for about 2 1/2 days - plenty of time for manifestation!

During the New Moon in Leo, it's a perfect time to create a space to bring in any wishes or manifestations that deal with Leo energy: creativity, children, love relationships, fun, excitment, and play are just a few examples. Do you want to manifest more freedom to create? Clearer and happier relationships with children? How about the kind of lover or love relationship that you desire? Good, old fashioned fun? Use the New Moon in Leo to support and facilitate these dreams and desires.

Colors to Manifest With

If you choose to work with candles or colors, your best bet is a candle that either relates to the 4th Chakra (Heart) or is red, yellow, or orange, the vibrant colors of the sun, the ruler of Leo! Many of my clients write their favorite Leo keywords on their candle. You don't have to use a candle, however; many people also use vision boards. Some simply find a quiet space to meditate on their "Leo" desires. (Having a candle helps because it gets you physically involved in the process of creating, but intention is all about a clear, focused heart. Have a strong desire? Then you're good to go!)

Keywords and Colors to Manifest With:

Joy

Confidence

Excitement

Children

Grandchildren

Other People's Children

Fun

Theater

Writing

Acting

Heart

Heart Centered

Regal

Kings

Queens

Lovers

Love Affairs

Fireworks!

The Sun

Solar

Orange

Red

Yellow

Jan Spiller also did great work in this area - "New Moon Astrology" deals with these issues.

What New Moon in Leo area do you want to create or improve in your life? I'm interested to hear your stories of manifestation. Shoot me a comment and tell me!

Be well,

Marissa

2010-07-22T23:38:00.001-04:00

On July 21, Saturn, the planet of hard lessons, seriousness, time, and teaching moves out of Virgo into Libra.

Saturn is a rigid and formal taskmaster. This planet is much like the Schoolmaster or Old Father Time. Saturn was in Virgo from September 2, 2007 to October 29, 2009. It moved into Libra on from October 29, 2009 to April 7, and then doubled back into Virgo until now. Now, as of July 21, its in Libra until 2012.

First of all Virgo issues deal with editing, writing, health, clutter/cleanliness, health/disease (literally dis-ease). For those of you born between July 1978 and Sept 21, 1980, you saw Virgo hit your Saturn Return. I watched friends and clients reeling from Saturn Returns. During a personal Saturn Return (in the ages of 28-31), the heavens and your personal astrological chart see to it that you learn hard lessons - and that you learn them well. No ducking, running, or hiding. Where Saturn falls in your chart shows where the lessons were learned.

One woman experienced her Saturn Return in Virgo in her 4th house - the house of home and family. She lost close family members and found herself in a position of rebuilding an inherited family home -- Virgo Saturn Return in the 4th at its finest. During this process, she had to get real about her own emotional and physical health issues and learned a great deal of 'Virgo' lessons about home organization and clutter. Another woman had her Saturn in Virgo hit her in the 5th house --- getting real about yoga-inclined, healthy, tofu eating romantic interests was the order of the day. (To learn more about this go to Astro.com and learn about where your Saturn is!)

Now, Saturn's got a brand new bag, baby - and we saw this recently, between October 29, 2009 to April 7, 2010 when Saturn was in Libra, before going back to Virgo until July 20, 2010. Think about the issues that were up in relationships between that time frame. Saturn in Libra is coming back with a sequel of that energy.

Now, from July 21, 2010 to October 5, 2012, Saturn turns up the heat - it can help you, Pluto-like, to burn away things that aren't working. What is not needed will be dropped on the journey, but its here to teach us lessons. We're going back into Saturn in Libra. This means, the journey of Saturn will shift from Virgo-based principals such as editing/writing, health/disease, clutter/cleanliness, and mind/body healing connections to relationship based patterns. Do you feel your relationships and friendships are balanced? Do you give and receive what is needed to ensure positive outcomes? Are you giving too much without having your needs met? Or are you taking too much from the other person? This also plays a role in business and family relationships as well, the key word being 'relationship'. Do you have clear communication in all of your relationships or is your communication muddled? Saturn in Libra will help you in these areas. Saturn in Libra will also help you smooth out areas of legal discord - or help you get much clearer on how you should proceed.

The big lessons taught with Saturn in Libra are

treating yourself and your partner/friend/business partner with fairness

seeking balance in relationships - and learning how to create it, sometimes in situations that seem like Big Massive Lessons

learning where or if you compromise your own needs to meet the needs of another --- or if you are asking someone else to compromise their needs for you

understanding your needs - and the needs of others. For some this means noticing how radically unbalanced or unhealthy certain relationships are. For others, this will mean coming to a deeper understanding of their own needs and being clear about communication.

control-freak issues (common with Saturn in Libra). Do you want control of someone else? Do they want control of you?

accepting responsibility for our own happiness - no matter what the other partner/friend/associate is doing.

Remember, progress in this area may be slow, since Saturn takes its time to make sure we REALLY GET IT. Saturn is all about taking personal responsibility for our own lessons. Saturn says "Look, here's the hard stuff. Get in there and get to it!" And careful -- since its Saturn (also known as the Big Sourpuss), we may find ourselves getting awfully touchy and/or devoid of a funny bone around these Libran Lessons.

Don't be scared of Saturn in Libra. For some, this will bring wonderful clarity about love relationships and partners. It's a chance to really get down to brass tacks and learn what makes you tick in relationships, units, double-acts, friendships, or partnerships of any kind. Some may be guided to end marriages or relationships during this period. If this happens, that's the work of Saturn, teaching you what can or cannot sustain for the long haul -- and what can, by bringing in new chances for love, friendship, or union. Saturn is all about lessons that are well learned, sturdy, and built to last!

Copyright Happy Ganesh, Inc.. All Rights Reserved.

Photo Credit By: Zeevveez

Blazing Tarot Blog!

2010-07-22T10:17:00.001-04:00

Bob Decker and I are back with another Blazing Tarot blog! (To see more Blazing Blogs, go here.)

New feed, The Psychic Fair, and Distance Readings!

2010-07-16T16:23:00.001-04:00

The RSS feeds and Twitter feeds are up and running! Huzzah! Do a little dance, make a little love, get down tonight....by subscribing to Happy Ganesh! You'll always get fresh content here, direct from HG and sent - with love and sushi - to you.

Also, if you're in South Florida, stop by Modern Zen tomorrow for the Psychic Fair! Want details? Check out the Modern Zen Facebook page, listed in the Blogroll to the left, or just click here modernzenstore.

Also, I do distance readings as well as in-person readings. If you want one, scoot on over to the Contact Me section.

Guest on "The Bob Decker Show"!

2010-07-14T16:38:00.001-04:00

Today, I was a special guest on The Bob Decker Show! Click here to listen. Good times were had. I took some call-ins and answered some questions.

Live radio shows are always wonderful because everything starts to flow.

Thanks to Bob Decker for having me on - and thanks to everyone who listened or called in. I am so grateful to be able to do this.

2010-07-10T17:26:00.001-04:00

On July 11^th we enter the New Moon in Cancer. First of all New Moons dedicate themselves to getting rid of the old and ushering in fresh starts. The sign tells us what area of life we’re being encouraged to restart. What’s even more powerful here is that – as usual, the sign the New Moon is in, is also the sign that the Sun is in. Therefore, we have Sun Cancer/Moon Cancer on July 11^th! Do you feel all that “mom” energy?

The New Moon in Cancer encourages us to take care of ourselves in Cancerian areas: nurturing, food, and caregiving. Where in our lives do we want to see new, fresh changes in these areas? Perhaps we need to discover what helps us to feel personally secure. We may want to manifest things like “During this New Moon in Cancer, I will discover new ways of communicating my needs”, “…. I will discover and be able to put into practice a healthy relationship with food.” “I will begin to try new things to increase security in my relationship with my mother/mother figure.”

Let yourself be guided in your own internal mysteries --- Cancer is the sign of feminine mystery. If you’re a man, you may find that it is easy and deeply satisfying to begin healing work that deals with women or that deals with your own emotional process. If you’re a woman, this may call up issues that deal with mother and femaleness, food and protection, care giving and care getting. Cancer rules images of Mother and the Divine Feminine. If you're thinking somewhere between Betty Crocker or Donna Reed, pearls gleaming and apron tied tightly around her waist, that's half right. The other half is pure Diana, goddess of the hunt - independent and free, and running with her pack of goddess friends.

We’re in an interesting time right now as this New Moon is coming right in the middle of a Cardinal T-square. In other words, Cancer (sun and moon) is opposed to Pluto (the planet of deep soul-level changes) in Capricorn. Capricorn is stable and deals with foundations. Since it’s in Pluto, things are changing in our lives, deep changes. The dual Sun/Moon in Cancer will put us back in touch with our family roots, our feelings about nurturing, security, home (and homeland) and motherhood. Not only is Pluto rocking the ground underneath us, but also we are being supported to make positive changes in these areas. This is a great time to explore your feelings and share them, look at patterns of behavior that are or are not working, and explore your imagination (Cancer rules loony funny thoughts and imagination).

Copyright 2010, Marissa Cohen/Happy Ganesh, Inc. All rights reserved.

Photo Credit by: joiseyshowaa