Happy Birthday Sagittarius

Sagittarius - the Centaur 

11/22 - 12/21

Basic Traits:

Here we have the philosopher among the zodiac signs and meanings. Like the Scorpio, they have great ability for focus, and can be very intense. However, they must channel their energy or they will waste time and wear themselves out going in too many directions at once. They are not very patient and expect quick results. However, when encountered with failure they make extreme comeback's often against incredible odds. They make loyal friends and lovers, but they do not handle commitment well as they refuse to be tied down while chasing philosophical pursuits.



The Deeper Meaning:

Sagittarius witnesses to the importance of deriving meaning from experience. From experience, that is, not from books, though reading the thoughts and searches for meaning of others can help in the quest. Consider the symbol or glyph for Sagittarius - a centaur. The rear half is that of a horse and the front half that of a human. The horse symbolizes animal instinct - it isn't the rear half for nothing! The human symbolizes the search for that which lies beyond animal instinct. The two are always together - meaning, philosophy, religion, are divorced from instinct at their peril. Then you get the philosophers and preachers who exhibit great powers of mind but cannot touch the heart.

Sagittarius follows Scorpio in the zodiac, and if there are significant planets in Scorpio in your chart, or if Scorpio is your Rising sign, or if Pluto (the co-ruler of Scorpio) is strongly placed, then you will know all about the necessity to live fully at the level of experience.

Sagittarius is a fire sign, and like the other fire signs, Aries and Leo, needs freedom of movement. This need is particularly highlighted in Sagittarius by its emergence from the intensity of Scorpio. Sometimes the search for meaning out of experience manifests as an escape from a sultry swamp into more spacious territory! Travel is one traditional Sagittarius way of broadening one's horizons. If you are close to someone whose chart is strong in Sagittarius energy and wish him or her to remain faithful, then you are more likely to retain compatibility if you recognize this need to escape at regular intervals.

Significant planets, e.g. the Moon or Venus, in Capricorn in your chart would indicate that you are frequently drawn towards situations which you may find limiting in a way you experience as alien. Love relationships may be scenarios in which you feel restricted from living life to the full, with the freedom you may feel is appropriate to you. But such features in your chart would show that some part of your nature longs for containment of some kind, even the freedom to live life within safe boundaries for a time.

A Day at Stony Brook

 This summer I had an incredible family vacation with my daughter and my mom. It was such a cool experience to have all 3 generations together. During our week in Upstate New York we were looking to find something unique to do. After asking around I heard of 2 super cool state parks that were in the vicinity. After realizing that one of them was only 30 minutes away, I knew which one we would be visiting... Stony Brook State Park. 
  
When I googled it I saw what looked like an amazing experience; one of those places you only see in pictures or in movies. A gorge that had been carved by the retreating glaciers after the last ice age with 3 breathtaking waterfalls left behind. Seriously stunning. Trying to capture the glorious vistas in a photo is near impossible, the scale is so grand!

Here's a little of what we found while exploring Stony Brook......

The first thing we saw was the river flowing over slabs of flat rock within the cavern of sheer faced cliffs. Some trees have managed to grab a foothold within the rocky valley, giving great moments of shade in the middle of the day, as well as adding a certain softness to juxtapose against the hard walls that shows the beautiful compositions that only nature can craft. 

As we wandered up the meandering stream, we came across small waterfalls where the slow moving water cascaded over small drops and flowed into large expanses of ankle deep and sparkling clear water. While this looked like a beautiful place to stop and hang out, I was really anxious to get to the good stuff... the waterfalls!!

Speaking of waterfalls, we apparently didn't think about all the stairs we were likely to encounter, because we were pooped from all that climbing! Did I mention that there are 3 waterfalls in the park, varying from 20' to over 40' high?!?! So yeah, there was a lot of climbing involved. My mom (shown here) did great with it... I was super impressed. :) She also decided to count the stairs when we were climbing up along the tallest of the 3 falls... over 125 steps in total. And that was just that one run of steps! There were also areas where we were walking on the bare rock along the creek bed. 

**Hint: wear shoes with a good grip, because where the bare rock gets wet it's quite slippery!**

 

When you first come across the falls you're confronted with the sheer scale and grandeur of them. To put that into perspective, you can see my daughter perched on an outcropping of rock in the shade to the right of this waterfall. Can you find her? She's just dwarfed by this fall. Seriously amazing. 

 

To see the entire fall with the corresponding swimming hole and flat tanning rocks (at least that's what I would use them for! lol) with the curved staircase that's been carved right into the rock is just breathtaking. That water just looked so inviting, I couldn't wait to jump in. I mean, look at all the fun that's being had out there! 

May I just re-emphasis the stairs?!! Oh my gosh, I felt like I had spent 2 hours at the gym on the StairMaster by the end of our hike through this delightful park. Here's my mama on the last big run of stairs we had to tackle to get to the swimming area. They were daunting, but golly, it felt good to know you had accomplished it when you got to the other end.

Here goes my gorgeous and adventurous daughter, jumping right in. She say's "the water's fine!!" Not sure if I believe her though... there seems to be something mischievous going on in her expression.

Looks like I was right to be concerned... this gasp from my mom when she first settled into the water was priceless! I stuck my toes in and that water was seriously cold, like ice water. Apparently when the water comes from mountain tops, it's frigid. Coming from South Florida, where the water is always warm, it came as quite a surprise!

  

Which is why I opted on avoiding the water and concentrated my time on sunbathing and sightseeing. Don't I look nice and warm and comfortable? That's cause I was. ;)

   

At the end of the day, we had such an awesome time at Stony Brook. New vistas are revealed at each bend of the river as it follows its sensuous path through the canyon, creating a sense of exploration and discovery. But the time spent with family will be the most precious memory brought home from our day at the park.

November 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.

Two gems are appropriate for November birthdays - Topaz and Citrine.

Topaz

Topaz is a gemstone available in a rich rainbow of colors. Prized for several thousand years in antiquity, all yellow gems in antiquity were called topaz. Often confused with citrine quartz (yellow) and smoky quartz (brown), quartz and topaz are separate and unrelated mineral species. The most prized color of topaz is called Imperial topaz after the Russian Czars of the 1800s and features a magnificent orange body color with pinkish undertones. Topaz also comes in yellow, pink, purple, orange, and the many popular blue tones.

Healing properties of Topaz - One of the most powerful gemstones, Topaz facilitates the balance of emotions and provides protection from greed.

Citrine

Citrine, the other birthstone for November is known as the "healing quartz". This golden gemstone is said to support vitality and health while encouraging and guiding hope, energy and warmth within the wearer. Citrine can be found in a variety of shades ranging from pastel yellow to dark brownish orange. It is one of the most affordable of gemstones and plentiful in nature.

Citrine is found most frequently in Brazil, Bolivia, and Spain.

Healing properties of Citrine - Considered the gemstone to provide greater or increased hearing, Citrine also promotes success, abundance, and clear thinking.