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

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

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

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.

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:

1. 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?


2. 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"

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.)

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!