Dear Friend and Reader:
We’ve just sent out Planet Waves Astrology News to subscribers. The lead in this edition covers the article from Sunday’s New York Times Magazine on Canadian sexologist Dr. Meredith Chivers (which received considerable discussion below). The piece is called “Kaleo: Venus Unbound.” It looks at erotic sex roles as proposed by Chivers; and at how Venus and Mars work in men and women — and the ways they are corrupted now (and what we can do about it)..
The article took several days to write and research, and I did the final draft yesterday at my hideout in Woodstock, Taco Juan’s. There’s excellent food (find out for yourself if you’re ever in Woodstock), no Internet connection and an excellent bookstore next door called the Golden Notebook. When I finished working I stepped outside, went to the back parking lot and was met with the vision of the Moon-Venus conjunction blazing in the evening sky: a cosmic thank-you note from the goddesses.
Today, Ceres, the goddess of grain and of mothering, is square Pholus, a centaur planet that tends to let things out of their container. This may be an emotional day for moms as regards their daughters, and there is plenty of chaos in the sky to accentuate the potency of the matter — such as Mercury slowing to a stop in Capricorn, where it will change directions on Sunday Feb. 1. Mercury is in what’s called the storm phase — like the rush of water when a ferryboat is pulling into the terminal and the pilot throw the thing into reverse. It’s like the boat is moving two directions at once, one direction against the ground and another direction as the water churns around it.
Ceres to Pholus first reminded me of people having a hard time keeping up with medical diets. I am one one — I am strictly wheat-free, which includes about five other grains and most lately sushi rice — so I know how hard it is. I don’t suggest you experiment today. That is, it would be better if you didn’t say, “Oh, I wonder what would happen if I eat that.” Stick to what you know works for your body.
But lots of us are trying to watch food consumption, and this is a good day to pay attention. Do you really need to eat things with corn syrup? Do you read ingredients lists on packages? It’s really interesting thing to see what is in everything you put in your mouth. (Taco Juans has two kinds of vanilla syrup, I learned; one made from corn syrup and artificial vanilla; and the other made from cane sugar and real vanilla.) I don’t eat anything that I don’t know the ingredients of, right down to checking the industrial foodservice packages at the movies to see just what goes into the popcorn. If the ingredients list is long, I don’t eat it. I have a long list of additives I skip (nearly all of them, but I have a few peeves that I keep for pets — such as MSG). Try this for a while and see what you become aware of.
Be aware: Mercury is stationing. Especially if you’re on a medical diet, pay attention. Read that list three times. Make sure you know all the odd little ingredients that are listed, like hydrolized vegetable protein, which is another way to say gluten.
Catch you tomorrow.
Thanks, Eric. After having spent years trying to narrow down what was making me so chronically sick ……(layer upon layer of stuff to peel away before getting to a fundamental issue of WHEAT – looking back I can see it was there since childhood along with dairy issues)…….my body finally got the message through to my brain.
At this stage, depending upon quantity and quality of wheat/gluten in any product, I become nauseous when it enters my mouth; or minutes later. I’ve always read labels, but now I read them differently (as in “wheat wears many costumes”).
Ironically, just after this discovery, a friend mentioned Eat Right 4 Your Type, a book I had heard about years ago. I found many corollaries to my long list of self-health-discoveries in Dr. D’Adamo’s theory.
This MAJOR food-revelation (the wheat) took place just around Christmas. New Life ahead — and I shall re-read your article now; it will have much more information and impact than it did two years ago.
To Health,
Linda
Edgewise,
Here is a Planet Waves article I did two years ago on gluten and celiac.
http://planetwavesweekly.com/dadatemp/1303521949.html
One thing I’ve learned since beginning this odyssey when I was 13 months old and today is how much gluten is used as an additive. For example, it can be put in salad dressing, ketchup, boullion or you name it as a thickener.
Therefore it’s necessary to read every single food package and know what the ingredients are, or to at least know they are not derived from one of the “gliadin grains” — wheat (in any form, such as spelt and Kamut), barley, rye or oats. One of my healers also pulled me off of sushi rice a few months ago and that has a very positive effect. This was hard because I love sushi; but I graduated to sashimi. One thing you learn as celiac is to adapt.
I make a habit of eating in the same restaurants when I go out. This affords me the privilege of talking to the chef, getting the wait staff on board, and having recipe card privileges when I need them. Basically, it’s necessary to question anything. Most “chefs” like to make their food seem more professional by adding a little flour here and a little flour there: that’s the secret ingredient to everything, wallpaper paste.
So the biggest do of them all: question, question, question.
— Eric Francis
This is an interesting post. My husband went to a specialist who ran blood tests of all nutrients in his blood this week, and the thing he came up woefully short in is vitamin D (we learned this yesterday)! We don’t get enough sunshine, especially in the north. D3 is made in our bodies by sunlight, but all the sunscreens block out the good effects of the sun even in warm weather.
You can google for D3 to see all of the things it is supposed to help – even MS. It’s one of the vitamins you can overdose on so be sure to read up on it before treating yourself.
“well-bring” I wonder what sub-conscious typo that is? Meant “well-being” of course.
Took a lifetime to discover what was slowly killing me – gluten. Would love to share your list of don’ts, Eric. And most importantly and most difficult to find – do’s!
One more testimony as to why it is so hard to “rise above” poverty in an urban setting — financially accessible food isn’t food at all.
The difference in physical well-bring and mental clarity since discontinuing wheat (corn, most grain etc) is remarkable, to say the least.
xo
Linda
I really, really want to comment here, being Vegan for 15 years, but I’ve found that my business is just that. I’ve nothing to say to anyone, in the aspect of conversion but, if your brain links up to “working” it through in a capacity that is healthy, and life observing, give it a shot. There is no vegan god. There is no particular method. You will feel as though you Know YOU. Although you may not, it’s all cool. You will definitely become more aware of the choices you make in “your daily basis”. And as well, the “choices made” for you by “the powers that be”.
Food is the basis of all life form…..
I’ve got to go dig a few patches for some Veg’s….
Love you all….
Jere
Holy fucking shit,… I’m actually making money off of the shit I draw. THIS is life my friends, enjoy everything, love all, and for Goddess fucking sake, SMILE!!!!!!!!
BTW, I also provided the cafe with my beloved homemade chili (basic recipe from Moosewood) at no charge; owner paid for ingredients. I made a batch with the fake ground meat (TVP, which I swear makes the whole thing rock) and a batch without for my pal at the cafe who’s unable to process gluten. While I am sorry for all those who are on limit diets, they do end up teaching the rest of us so much.
In Europe it’s insidious – they give the ingredients codes, like E456, which you are supposed to know will kill your kid.
Let’s not forget the bugbear “natural flavor(s)”: it’s most likely MSG, folks.
After spending a couple of years with a child on a gluten/casein/soy/egg/additives-free diet, I’ve picked up on the euphemisms.
I started selling my most favorite oatmeal cookies at the local cafe, I ‘d lost my jobs and needing to feel connected and bring in a little cash. I LOVE these cookies, had been living on them really, a great breakfast w/ a cuppa chai when you’re commuting to Washington. I sold them for 50 cents each and that felt fair as they’re large and … well, they’re awesome.
“Do what you love the money will follow” was my tenet here and while I wasn’t making any real cash, I was doing and sharing what I love.
I had to pull the cookies from the shop as a small few complained about the lack of labelling. I was initially indignant at the cafe’s selling treats from costco and sam’s club rather than actual FOOD from someone they all actually KNOW … but after your daily post today, Eric, I’m seeing another view. Thank you.