Astrological Cookery
Astrological Cookery
for
September
There is, you may have
noticed, some serious world shaking stuff going on out there. One major factor
is the Saturn-Neptune opposition occurring on the 31st of August. Saturn, the
ruler of serious status quo and entrenched establishments comes into a dance
with Neptune, the wild idealist and wonder worker.
The last time we had this scene in the sky,
The Berlin Wall went down and Tiananmen Square was a campout festival for the
Goddess of Democracy (remember her? Wow, she was cool!!). The Saturn and Neptune
is where humanity’s highest ideals have the power to overcome all the evil
of banality and world weary cynicism. Now is the moment to write to your
congress reps and senators, and phrase your suggestions as limericks and haiku.
Now is the beginning of the next era of radical, rabid hope and enchanting
enlightenment.
What does all this have
to do with getting dinner on the table? Since we are talking about Virgo,
it’s all significant. And as an extra bonus, there are two new moons in
Virgo this time around, so the chance to start fresh and clean is more than
available.
Take this September and
revel in it. It is a time you will recall for many years to
come.
September is
Virgo
Virgo in the kitchen is a
sight to behold. In fact, the kitchen itself is probably so clean, so well
organized and so well supplied, it could be the set for a cooking show. Virgo is
about having things just exactly the way you want them. The symbol for the sign,
the Virgin, is often misunderstood. We’re not talking about Jesus’s
Mom, or even Dicken’s Miss Haversham.
The Virgin represented here does not
define a lack of experience or a need for chastity. Think of Elizabeth the
First, The Virgin Queen. This definition of virgin has to do with being
self-contained and autonomous. You own your own self entirely. Helpers are
great, but anyone who walks into your kitchen thinking of giving you advice or
directions is very much mistaken. Because you know what you like.
The hard part about being a Virgo is
that in your pursuit of perfection, you are probably too hard on your self. You
really do a terrific job and you don’t have to beat yourself up about it.
A Virgo friend of mine showed up to a recent gathering with a fantastic plate of
chocolate dipped strawberries, and while we oohed and aahed over them, she
shunned our enthusiasm with the comment “yeah, so I can melt chocolate,
whoopee!” She probably would have preferred to arrive with a three layer
cake, decorated with Egyptian hieroglyphs, frosted with a delicate meringue
buttercream, and a few roses. The strawberries were delicious, and they were
quite sufficient, and they were devoured almost
instantly.
So, consider that, when you
are berating yourself for your alleged shortcomings. We love you just the way
you are, and what comes out of your kitchen is divine.
With that, I want you to keep in mind
that a recipe is always simply a set of suggestions- This is one that’s
easily adapted to you personal
tastes-
Virgo’s Pasta with
Herbs
1 lb of dried pasta (you will
want a long, slender strand for this, so think of spaghetti, angel hair, or
linguini)
1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced
fine
1/2 cup fresh basil, minced
fine
1/4 cup fresh tarragon, minced
fine
2 or 3 cloves of
garlic
1/3 cup olive
oil
1 cup fresh ricotta or
mascarpone
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne
pepper
Cook the pasta in boiling water
with a touch of salt. Combine the herbs and garlic in a mortar or a blender and
turn them into a paste. Add the cheese and olive oil gradually, until you have a
kind of uber-pesto. Season with cayenne. Drain the cooked pasta, and toss it
with the herb sauce. Present it to your hungry, grateful friends, who are
waiting at the table with the green salad, the French bread, the pinot blanc,
and the very large
smiles.
General Forecast for
September 2006
Aries- It all seems
to be coming at you at once, the good , the bad, and the ugly. Even while you
are overwhelmed, don’t let yourself crawl into bad habits. Real comfort is
on the other side of some big changes. Go ahead and
jump.
Taurus- As much as you love to be
generous, now is a good time for you to recall that charity begins at home. If
you aren’t taking good care of yourself, you won’t have the energy
to take care of anyone else, either. Be practical , take the time to
plan.
Gemini- Is bad news on the way,
or just on the way out? Hard to tell if you’ve passed the test, or just
the first hurdle. Remember, courage isn’t a lack of fear. It’s being
scared and carrying on regardless.
Cancer- Listen to the inner voice, and
take care of yourself. This is a moment to pause and focus on your health and
your happiness, and remember that they are very close friends. Treat one well,
and the other will be pleased,
too.
Leo- Now that the birthday party
is over, it’s time to turn to the sobering job of clearing up the remains
of the day. It’s ok to ask for help, and it’s more than ok to enjoy
the task.
Virgo- You have, at the
moment, great wisdom in the direction of your own interests. Consider safety and
solitude to be the order of the day. You may not rule the world. but you can
rule the day.
Libra- Are you feeling
the need for approval, from friends, family, or total strangers? You really are
doing fine; perhaps the one whose approval truly matters is looking out of the
mirror.
Scorpio- There is a possibility
that your wishes are about to be granted, but they won’t be falling into
your lap like ripe fruit. You’ll have to reach for them and grasp with
just the right touch.
Sagittarius- A
sense of loss, and a possible intrigue. Is someone in your daily life keeping
important info from you, or are you hiding a problem from yourself? Whatever
you are missing, you are the only one who can find
it.
Capricorn- It may feel like defeat,
but it might just be a setback. A sense of stagnation can be frustrating, and
since you’ve done all you can to move the mountain, see what happens when
you wait for the mountain to come to you. Don’t discount the piece of grit
in your eye.
Aquarius- There is a
danger of someone being dishonest with you. It’s time to Be Aware, and
Beware. Your usual easy going mode won’t serve you as well as a wake up
call in your communication center. Don’t sign anything you haven’t
read twice.
Pisces- Feeling intimidated
by all those unknowns? Try not to get yourself too stuck in factual reality,
there’s a few important clues dancing in the shadows. Open yourself to the
knowledge that your intution has for you.
Posted: Fri - September 1, 2006 at 05:28 PM