Bruce Lee a famous baby dragon. His Chinese name literally translates to Li Little Dragon.

Happy Chinese New Year-The Year of the Dragon

Will this year be fierce, full of surprises, magnificent or menacing? Will it delight, bewilder or intimidate you-just like a dragon? It’s all in your eyes!

The Chinese are obsessed with the dragon and highly revered in their culture. It is the only figure in the Chinese zodiac, that is a fantasy creature. One legend about the twelve-year zodiac/New Year cycle holds that Buddha summoned the world’s animals to him, and the first twelve that heeded the call were given the honor of having a year dedicated to their species; the order of the zodiac signs corresponds to how quickly each respective creature arrived. In our Western culture dragons have come to connote evil, synonymous almost with the serpent in terms of their capacity for malice. Not so in Chinese mythology. There, the dragon is associated with vibrant health, luck, regal bearing and personal achievement, as well as increased opportunity, optimism, imperial power and intelligence. It swims into the ocean and flies above the clouds to spread its rain-making power to ensure a prosperous Year of the Dragon on earth.

Meaning of the legend:

The Chinese people from the beginning of time had shown a remarkable ability to understand the intricate working of nature. The relationship between rain and oceanic wind pattern. They know that water vapor were originated from the sea and endowed the dragon with rain making ability. Chinese dragon is benevolent in their spirit and benefit the people—contrasting to the western myth of a cold lecherous lizard-like dragon who captures virgin and hog treasure perhaps it is a religious backlash in the west toward the Older religious practice of the Serpent Power, as in Kundalini of the Hindu Yoga. It also reflected the difference attitude between East and West toward sexual energy and impulses—the dragon symbolizes fertility and life, just like the snake in the biblical story of Eden.

Chinese Medicine & Your Health:

This is the time to sweep away past resentments and bad luck, and to manifest good fortune and wellbeing for the year to come. Traditional Chinese Medicine with it’s beauty and simplicity  can help us do the same for our bodies, by not only addressing injury and disease, but also preparing and protecting our bodies for long-term wellbeing.

Changes brought by each new season correlate with the Chinese Five Element theory. Each Element is important for specific body organs, which can become especially vulnerable with each new season. According the Chinese Five Element Theory, Winter is related to the  element of water. In this season this element is the most dominant. Winter’s power is deep in *yin. It is a time to conserve energy and resources and not be wasteful with your active, outward *yang energy. You need special care in the form of nutrition, warmth and rest. The bladder and kidneys, which deal with the body’s water, are the organs associated with winter and it’s element, both of which process the most *yin element, Water.

To evaluate the health of the kidneys, examining the overall color, clarity and tone of the skin is helpful. Besides the kidneys and bladder the skin is our largest organ of elimination. When the kidneys are clearing toxins poorly or have too much to handle, the skin may have to work harder to help clear these wastes. This is when skin rashes and breakouts can occur. To strengthen the water energy and keep these organs and body in balance it’s important to keep warm. A great way to  do this is with the proper winter diet.

Nutrition:

• If one is on a high raw or 100% raw food diet, add spices such as garlic,ginger to juices and cinnamon to foods. Gently warm vegetable or miso soups and eat plenty of well-blended food, as blended meals are easier to digest. Fresh cranberries make a nice addition to juices or purees this time of year while protecting the bladder and kidneys from infection.
• Eat more root vegetables during the winter such as parsnips, carrots, turnips, beets to fortify your immune system.These winter vegetables are naturally at their peak in this season. Not only do they help keep your body warm, but they are also rich in anti-oxidants.
• Cooked Whole Grains make an excellent staple in the winter diet. These complex carbs burn well in the body as fuel and are good for the intestines and for elimination. Azuki beans and black beans are beneficial for the kidneys. Millet is also good choice for balancing water energy this time of year.

• Ocean Food such as, ocean (salt water) fish, low in fats with high amounts of protein, minerals and vitamins, Ocean seaweeds like kelp, dulse, nori and hijiki are high protein vegetables, high in Vitamin E & A. Rich in calcium, potassium, iron, iodine, and other minerals. The nourish the endocrine system, especially the thyroid and adrenal glands.
• Drinking plenty of liquids is key to blood and lymphatic circulation. It is also essential for cleansing the body through the kidneys and bladder.
• Adding Herbs during the winter can be very cleansing for the body and blood as well as strengthening specific systems.  Examples: Burdock root good for the lungs and mucous linings, marshmallow root soothing irritations or inflammations in the kidney and bladder. Ginger Root another good heater to help with circulation and increase the Fire Element. Flaxseed & Nettle to name a few more.

Wellness:

• Acupuncture: Winter is a wonderful time of year to get acupuncture, especially if you notice any of symptoms or imbalance  in the skin and body. I highly recommend my acupuncturist- Paulette Pettorino at www.spiritcenteracupuncture.com
• Exercise : Get plenty of rest but exercising  is still very important, perhaps trying Yoga or Tai Chi. Creating new habits will replace older ones. These disciplines will help you gain balance, strength, flexibility and a wonderful vitality.
• Facial and Massage: Lymphatic Drainage and the use of essential oils can be helpful to support you during the winter.

Winter is a cold and contractive time, but with my help and recommendations you can bring light and balance back into the long dark season. After the excess of the holiday season, we relish a little down time to cleanse and support, nurture and nourish the kidneys this winter season. As we enter what is believed to be the most auspicious year in the twelve-year Chinese zodiac cycle, I look forward to it with joy and optimism, as I continue my path to personal and professional success. Hopefully, the soaring and awe-inspiring dragon and it’s rainmaking ability can disperse the shower of power unto you in the Year of the Dragon.

Winter: in-Balance

keep warm, stay quiet, sleep well, be at home, look within, preserving-giving

Winter: imbalance

overactive,late nights and parties,lack of rest and sleep, dissipation, frustration, hoarding

Love & Light,

Claudia

***Yin yang is widely known as the two opposites that complete the whole. Yin is the shady place (North) (Feminine energy) while yang is the sunny place (South) (Male energy). Each relies on the other. The theory of yin yang helps define the inner workings of nature. It gives us a concise explanation of why there is night and day, light and dark, good and evil, right and wrong, male and female, etc. In other words, it creates a framework so chaos has order. Without this concept, life would seem sporadic and it would be difficult to see the patterns and logic behind the functions of life.

An auspicious day the 1111 & in Numerology, 1 is recognized as the beginning, the creator, or essentially the center. No matter where or with whom you spend the day, you’re not alone in hoping for an auspicious year ahead. I  couldn’t wait to say goodbye to 2010, it was an extremely challenging year personally and I can only hope and realize a better 2011. Challenging times can cause a person to wobble and fall and be broken open but how can difficult times help us grow and explore the questions of life-emerging from suffering with real wisdom, love and compassion?

A friend said to me recently, “Yoga saved my life” and I completely understood  what she meant by this.  Thankfully, yoga has a proven track record for helping and “saving me” to get through the worst situations, keeping me balanced and grounded. After so many years of thinking about this-I made a decision to pursue a teacher training this year. I’m completely excited to deepen my practice and share this beautiful comprehensive way to live and approach life which involves more than yoga postures. I look forward to the new hope, resolutions and second chances that every new year brings with it. Remember to stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach.

Focus Your Intentions for 2011

• Material Abundance:What do you want on the material level? Your own house with a garden?
• Relationships: Write down all your desires for your relationships – your romantic partner, friends, children, parents, co-workers, and any others.
• Spiritual: What would nourish your heart and soul? Do want to go on a meditation retreat? Start a journaling practice?
• Personal Goals: What areas of your life would you like to nurture this year? Do you want a new intellectual challenge such as studying a language or learning new software?
• Community: What do you want to contribute to your neighborhood, country, or the world?Consider how you might use your unique talents to serve others.
• Health: What are your health goals for the new year? Learning how to meditate? Regular, restful sleep? Better eating habits? Perhaps exercise more ? Releasing old emotional wounds? Write down everything you desire for your physical and emotional well-being.

“Goals are a means to an end, not the ultimate purpose of our lives. They are simply a tool to concentrate our focus and move us in a direction. The only reason we really pursue goals is to cause ourselves to expand and grow. Achieving goals by themselves will never make us happy in the long term; it’s who you become, as you overcome the obstacles necessary to achieve your goals, that can give you the deepest and most long-lasting sense of fulfillment.” – Anthony Robbins

Love & Light

Claudia~

“Today marks the winter solstice, shortest day  and the longest night of the year. There’s an aura of stillness that envelops the day. It’s not as if things won’t happen or progress, but just that we may be more readily able to connect to a deep sense of peaceful quietude. Today the Sun moves into the sign of slow-but-steady Capricorn.

This is the third of the three cosmological meetings this year of the planets Jupiter and Neptune (the first occurred on May 27, the second on July 10). It’s a day that may feel dreamy but one that will remind you that your dreams can become reality.  There’s a profound sense of connecting to a deep power within us, from which our creativity can flow forth.
What happens when hopeful and visionary Jupiter dances in the sky with imaginative and spiritually inclined Neptune? You may feel captured by a sense of romanticism that infuses even the most mundane with a sense of poetics. You may find yourself drawn to music, color, and images—rather than solely to words—when expressing your thoughts and feelings. You may experience especially vivid dreams, as your subconscious mind more strongly pierces the veil of your conscious mind during sleep.
Yet, take heed: Jupiter conjunct Neptune can usher in the trio of “-sion”s: confusion, delusion, and illusion. Due diligence is even more important during this time so that you can best tune into the “reality” of what is occurring.
However the Jupiter/Neptune conjunction individually manifests for you, one thing is for sure: both these planets carry an “up, up, and away” energy and so it’s important to stay open to their inspiration but grounded at the same time.”

Written by Stephanie Gailing

Source: Planetary Apothecary

‘New Moons signal beginnings. Given that this one is in Scorpio—and yesterday we experienced the first of the exact squares of Pluto and Saturn—what is being planted for growth is likely an outcome of having let go of something else. Reflect upon what it is in your life that you have found to have become outworn, something that you have released or are considering releasing. Envision what it is that you would like to create in its place, something that can transform your life so that you can experience a greater depth of joy.

Scorpio represents that which is hidden, the unseen. It’s not that these things necessarily have to be kept in the dark, it’s just that we usually “don’t want to go there.” During a Scorpio New Moon, subjects considered to be taboo may rise to the surface. If your natural reflex is to turn a blind eye to these, allow yourself to just contemplate them for a moment, even if at a distance. You may end up finding them a great source of learning, even if it’s more clearly understanding what it is that causes your aversion.

As this New Moon squares Neptune, we’re likely to be swimming in tidal pools of compassion. This may open us up to feeling even more deeply than we already do, whether to our own or others’ joys or sorrows. With this planetary combination, we may also find ourselves either extremely enchanted or disenchanted with someone or something; keeping both your heart and eyes open to see things as clearly as possible is very helpful to so as to avoid floating away with either of these feelings.

This month’s New Moon falls at 25 degrees of Scorpio (Sun and Moon). While everyone experiences the energies of a New Moon, if you have planets or pivotal points (i.e., Ascendant/Descendant or Nadir/Midheaven) around this degree in Scorpio or the other fixed signs—Taurus, Leo, and Aquarius—it may impact you more intensely.”

Written by Stephanie Gailing

Source: Planetary Apothecary

Astrologer and writer Judi Vitale has had her eye on the sky for most of her life. Partnering with Fábula she brings you Astrological insights into wellness.

Hello, Everyone! We’ve made it through September and all the ups, downs pushes and pulls of Saturn and Uranus, now we can look forward to more positive energies during the month of harvest celebrations, chillier weather and, of course, Halloween! People become cheerful during October, maybe because it seems so wonderful to dig out the jackets and other warmer clothing that make us feel cuddly-cozy. Now that Mercury Retrograde over, it’s going to be easy to push through those projects and ideas you had so much trouble getting off the ground before. By the way, do you have a funny or amusing Mercury Retrograde story? How did this little-but-mighty planet affect your ability to communicate? From broken-down disk drives to cars that just wouldn’t start – I’ve heard more than a few. I think the funniest one I heard came from a friend who, while suffering from food poisoning, tried to take a quick cab ride home. In an attempt to avoid soiling the cab with the obvious results of her ailment, her BlackBerry got caught in the “line of fire” and… with soaked circuits, it became impossible for it to function any further. With the help of a handy insurance policy, all was well within a few days, including her tummy. Even when it comes to this bothering condition we know as Mercury retrograde, all’s well that ends well!

Now, on to October…The beauty-centered influence of the Libra Moon will paint the trees all sorts of beautiful colors, and you may want to do something to enhance your own cosmetic color palette, too. Natural tones that enhance your good looks, just as they do with the trees, will make you look bright and cheerful. After the 23rd, the Sun will move into Scorpio, and the spirit of fall will hold no more hints of summer! The deep and intense energy of this time is meant for taking all the good things that are left after the harvest and considering the potential for new life to emerge from it. You can take this to mean that those things that have outlived their usefulness will pass away – and you’ll be ready for that. Jupiter will come out of its retrograde period on the 13th, allowing you to feel optimistic about some projects you are working on, from work assignments to love affairs. And, there is no doubt that, by the time the month is over, you’ll notice all kinds of things lifting from your life – because there will be one huge change in the planetary lineup.

Saturn will move from Virgo to Libra on October 29th. Saturn is the mean teacher of the solar system, and now those of us with Libra, Capricorn, Aries and Cancer energies will be especially aware of Saturn’s harsh side. People with Gemini and Aquarius in their astrology, on the other hand, will feel a welcome hand of structure helping to steer the ship of life. You would have to consult a professional astrologer to detect specifically how you can best take advantage of or learn from Saturn’s lessons – but in any event, everyone will feel the change. It can affect your personal relationship, financial social and family life, depending on how Saturn interacts with your personal astrology chart.

The Harvest Moon will be out on October 4th – enjoy the fruits of your labors, including some surprises. The unpredictable planet Uranus will insist on being heavily involved on all the goings on around that time. On the 17th and 18th, a New Moon in Libra will be excellent for planning out the beauty routine that will help your skin and body make the transition into winter. Replenish moisture and guard against those harsh, cold temperatures! That way, you’ll be ready for anything and everything the planets decide to put on your plate.

If you wish to learn more about astrology, or to arrange a personal
consultation, please contact Judi via e mail: judivitale@me.com

Astrologer and writer Judi Vitale has had her eye on the sky for most of her life. Partnering with Fábula she brings you Astrological insights into wellness.

The onset of September brings with it the feeling of “back to school,” and
this year the urge to get up and at it will be stronger than ever. There
will be tons of action going on among the planets, and not all of it will be
pleasant to deal with. The first thing you might notice is an uptick in the
number of breakdowns, traffic jams and communications gaffes, beginning
right after Labor Day, and lasting for the whole month. Apart from backing
up your computer and getting your car checked out beforehand, your best bet
for handling this is to go back and re-consider your body’s need for
restorative treatments. As Mercury will be retracing its steps through the
beauty-conscious sign of Libra, it’s appropriate to pay attention to outside
features such as your skin, brows and other areas that you want to show off
at one point or another! Mercury will allow all the connections to be made
without.

On September 11th, Pluto is going to come out of its long retrograde period
to release those items that have been swept under the carpet and bring them
back into consciousness. Four days later, erratic Uranus and stalwart
Saturn will be in a head-to-head contest, creating major tension. Expect
some problems involving huge waves of change to return – even if you thought
the worst was over. Relaxation and centering will become especially
important. You’ll deal with problems a lot more sensibly if you’re in a
state of mind that allows you to process what’s happening by engaging the
rational portion of your mind. No matter what’s happening in the world, you
can deal with these planetary gyrations by accepting change in your life on
the psycho-spiritual level, and promoting change for the better with your
body! Use massage, detoxification and purification to ensure that you’re at
your very best from the inside out.

You can also use the cycles of the moon to manage your projects and attune
your goals with the rhythms of the cosmos. This month, the Full Moon takes
place on September 4th in the sign of Pisces. You may notice the results of
a project you began in mid August is showing results. Also, your psychic
and intuitive energies will be enriched by the Moon’s immersion in the sign
of unconditional love. On the 18th, start something new that will improve
your health and organize your life when the New Moon takes place in Virgo.
Think about a new workout, use time management techniques and get a
full-body massage that stimulates your circulation and rejuvenates your
internal organs.

As you can see, no matter what’s happening with the planets, you can still
be fabulous.

If you wish to learn more about astrology, or to arrange a personal
consultation, please contact Judi via e mail: judivitale@me.com