Happy Birthday Scorpio

Scorpio - the Scorpion 

10/23 - 11/21

Basic Traits:

The Scorpio is often misunderstood. These personalities are bold and are capable of executing massive enterprises with cool control and confidence. They can surmount seemingly all obstacles when they put their mind to the task, and they have unshakable focus when the situation calls for it. Regardless of their bold nature, they are often secretive, but they are always observing behind their withdrawn manner. Being associated with a solar animal (the scorpion), they are not withdrawn for long, and when they come out again they do so with force, vigor and determination. It is true, Scorpio's can be argumentative and pack a powerful sting, but that's simply because they see all opposition as a healthy challenge.


The Deeper Meaning: 

Scorpio's task is to learn to be at ease with feeling what goes on beneath the surface of life. Scorpio follows Libra in the zodiac. Whereas Libra has an ideal about how relationships ought to be, Scorpio is more interested in the emotional reality, a reality which can be the end of any ideal! The move from Libra to Scorpio symbolizes the move from ideal of how things ought to be to the experience of how things are. This applies to love relationships, certainly, but also to everyday life. A mature Scorpio has a built-in detector which can tell when the truth is not being lived, both by oneself and by other people. This can make life very uncomfortable, as you know when those around you are not being completely honest. The chances are they are not being deliberately false, it's just that they cannot see the truth beneath the surface of things as clearly as you can. Therefore a Scorpio has to learn acceptance and understanding, as well as trying to sense how far to go in challenging the falsehood, how much the other person is able to accept about himself or herself. Compatibility with others may not come easily.

Scorpio is co-ruled by the planet Pluto, which symbolizes all that goes on beneath the level of consciousness. Pluto challenges innocence, and forces us to learn from experience. Those who have Scorpio or Pluto strongly placed in their charts come to know what it means to die to be reborn to a new level of awareness. Other parts of the chart may show what stands in the way of this. For instance, an abundance of planets in Aries and/or Taurus would indicate a preference for living life fully at the level of everyday consciousness and without the complications of having to delve for unconscious motives and desires. It might be possible to do this for a while, but it would be at the expense of the ultimate fulfillment which comes from living according to one's destiny. Venus in Sagittarius would indicate a tendency to form relationships which offer an escape from what might be perceived as the swamp of Scorpio, and perhaps a strong desire to travel and experience foreign cultures. There is nothing wrong with an escape hatch being available, but a more fruitful use of Venus in Sagittarius might be to find situations, maybe relationships, which offer the opportunity to find meaning out of your rich experience of life.

A Week at the Lake

When I think of summer I often think of the time I spent with my grandparents in their lakeside cabin in Upstate New York. Waking up to eat the fresh donuts my grandfather had grabbed that morning from a local shop while reading the comics with my grandmother. The days were spent fishing, swimming, or canoeing on the lake with evenings filled with family and, when I was really lucky, a bonfire!

With both of my grandparents having passed away in last decade I haven't been back in a long while. With my daughter going off to college, I thought it was about time to relive some of my childhood memories and create some new memories with her. What would be better than a week at the old cabin?!

To make the trip even better, we had all 3 generations for the trip as my mom was able to come too! She grew up spending summers and weekends at the lake, so it was really awesome for her to relive some of her old memories as well.
 

Our Week at Conesus Lake

After over 24 hours in the car we were so happy to have finally arrived at the lake. And what a spectacular view we had to great us! The sun was just setting over the ridge line on the opposite side of the lake, creating a gorgeous mix of soft pastels that reflected off of the water. This is how you kick off a week at the lake!

 My plan was to not have a plan. Relaxation was the name of the game. This swinging wicker bench had such a great view, and since it was in shade most of the day it was a great place to sit with a book.

I spent most of my time on the dock though. First thing in the morning I would head out to the end and watch the split-tail swallowtails as the swooped and played above the water. Later in the day it was time for some sunbathing. While we had board games and cards inside, thankfully the weather stayed gorgeous so most days were spend out of doors.

One of the best things that happened was getting to see my mom reconnecting with friends from her past. Here she is with one of her besties, Donna. It's always fun to watch your parents revert to their younger, more carefree selves. It reminds me that we're not all that different at all.

No trip to the lake would be complete without the ubiquitous bonfire and the inevitable smores. I was so proud of my little fire! :)

 How did I neglect to mention the surrounding countryside?! It's so simple and bucolic. We stopped at a roadside stand (set up in a shed in someones front yard) and picked up some homemade jam and fresh veggies. And I mean fresh... the beets were still covered in dirt. Can I just tell you how tasty they were? We also spent an afternoon picking blue berries right off the vine. (or would it be bush?) I've got to say, now I get that whole 'farm to table' movement. The flavors you get from super fresh produce is amazing!

 

 

 At the end of the week I was reluctant to leave. But at least I know I can always go back. I can't wait!!

October Birthstone

Traditionally, a birthstone is associated with each month of the year. For example, the birthstone for January is a garnet, while lucky babies born in April get a diamond as their birthstone.

The origin of birthstones is believed to date back to the breastplate of Aaron which contained twelve gemstones representing the twelve tribes of Israel. The current list dates back to 1912 with only one addition since then – the tanzanite was added to December.

There are numerous legends and myths about birthstone healing powers and their therapeutic influence. According to these legends, wearing a gemstone during its assigned month heightened its healing powers. For the full effect, individuals needed to own all twelve and alternate them monthly.

October is another month with two birthstone choices – Tourmaline and Opal.

Tourmaline

Tourmaline has become a favorite gemstone among jewelry designer, and gem collectors the world over. Since it is available in a wide variety of colors, it is ideally suited to almost anyone's taste. Tourmaline also is known for displaying several colors in the same gemstone.  These bi-color or tri-color gems are formed in many combinations; gemstones with clear color distinctions are highly prized.  One multi-color variety is known as watermelon tourmaline, and features green, pink, and white colors bands; to resemble its namesake, the gemstone is cut into thin slices having a pink center, white ring, and green edge. 

Tourmaline is found in many localities including Brazil, Afghanistan, East Africa, and the USA.

Opal

The name opal derives from the Greek Opallos, meaning "to see a change (of color)."  Opals range in color from milky white to black with flashes of yellow, orange, green, red, and blue. An opal's beauty is the product of contrast between its color play and its background.  Opal is a formation of non-crystalline silica gel that seeped into crevices in the sedimentary strata. Through time and nature's heating and molding processes, the gel hardened into the form of opals. The opal is composed of particles closely packed in spherical arrangements. When packed together in a regular pattern, a three-dimensional array of spaces are created that give opal its radiance.