Hodgepodge

[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

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!

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!!!!

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

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.

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."

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