Leo is depicted as a male lion, a creature used in heraldry to represent kingship and majesty. The ruler of Leo is the Sun, the center of our solar system, and the point around which all the other planets rotate. It is interesting to note that scholars knew this fact in antiquity. We base our belief that they didn't know this on maps and tables that were astrological, not astronomical models. In Astrology, for all practical purposes, Earth is the center because it is where we live. If they hadn't known the Sun was the center, they could not have made the star charts and constellation tables as accurately as they did.

Leo is a fixed, Fire sign. It is self-confident, generous, warm-hearted, dramatic, a powerful leader. It can also be proud, vain, extravagant and arrogant.

The monthly installment of The Great Astrological Light Bulb Joke:

Q. How many Leos does it take to change a light bulb?

A. Leos don't change light bulbs, although sometimes their agent will get a Virgo in to do the job for them while they're out.  

Note: I have no idea who originally wrote this. Erika sent it to me ages ago and I still think it’s as funny as it is insightful! -- Inga >^..^<

July 22^nd the Sun Enters Leo: Interesting that these sunny days and sultry nights of July and August are called “The Dog Days”. We should change it to “The Lion Days”. (Think of the big cats lounging under the short scrubby trees of the veldt.)

July 24^th Full Moon in Aquarius: The Moon and Sun are opposite each other in the sky. The Moon reflects all of the Sun's light. This is the time to perform rituals for protection, clarity of vision and consecration. A new moon in Aquarius indicates a couple of days of innovation and unconventional wisdom.

August 1^st is Lammas or Lugnasadh: With the Solstice past and the days beginning to get shorter, we are already moving along to Autumn. Over halfway though the year, Lammas celebrates the first harvest. The grain is harvested and Lammas is traditionally celebrated with rituals involving bread and baking. It is time to look at what you have accomplished during the growing season and to make decisions concerning the remainder of the year.

Info on the traditional Pagan celebration of Lammas by Mike Nichols can be found here at The Witches Sabbats.

Mything Links gives a good discussion of how the holiday evolved during Christian times.

Click here for information on buying the album from Amazon.com: Lammas Ladymass - 13th and 14th Century English Chant and Polyphony by Anonymous 4.

August 2nd is the first Friday of the month and therefore, the monthly Open House / Get Together for friends and clients of Scott and Inga. (See below for more information.)

August 8^th New Moon in Leo: The Moon and Sun are conjunct in the sky. The moon is dark and gradually increases to a crescent. This is the time to begin a ritual involving a new project, to ask for new vision. With the new moon in Leo we can look for a couple of days of romance, generosity and drama.

August 22^nd Full Moon in Aquarius: The Moon and Sun are opposite each other in the sky. The Moon reflects all of the Sun's light. This is the time to perform rituals for protection, clarity of vision and consecration. This is the second Aquarius full moon during the sign of Leo! Pay attention to how you are feeling and what issues come up during this time. Remember that stress can bring great insights if we pay attention to the trend of the energy we’re experiencing rather than just wallowing in the detail of how it manifests. 

August 23^rd the Sun Enters Virgo: Scott’s Birthday!

Amber is not technically a stone at all. It is an organic like jet or ivory, consisting of the fossilized resin of trees. This transparent or translucent golden-orange gemstone has been used for Jewelry since ancient times since it is softer than crystal or stone and relatively easy to carve and drill even with primitive tools. Finding beads from Roman and pre-Columbian times is not uncommon although when worn on a daily basis genuine amber tends to dehydrate and crack. It should not be left in the sun or worn frequently during the heat of the day. Amber is now mined but the earliest amber was simply found washed up on beaches surrounding the Baltic and Mediterranean seas. Plastics and synthetic resins are frequently used to imitate Amber. 

Amber carries the warm comforting energy of ancient forests and can help to remind us of the rhythms of Earth. It resonates with Leo and wearing it can help to support growth in the areas of positive self-image, responsibility & generosity. It is too easy in these stressful times to focus on our needs and desires and to become self-centered rather than expansive. Wearing amber can help to keep us focused on using our strengths correctly and generously. 

Click here to learn more about purchasing Inga's Earth Magic Jewelry.

Astrology, Psychology and The Four Elements: An Energy Approach to Astrology and its Use in the Counseling Arts By Stephen Arroyo, MA

Look for the review of this book in the Virgo issue. I’ve been brushing up on my French so my reading for the month has consisted of Barron’s French Grammar and the Easy French Reader by Raoul de Roussey de Sales which I can’t imagine you are interested in hearing about!

Click here to learn more about purchasing this book from Amazon.com.

Here are the top two questions I get asked: “When will he/she call?” and “Tell me how _____ will turn out so I can be patient.”

I firmly believe this: the Universe doesn't give us points for knowing the answer. It gives us points for the character and resources we develop while groping around in the dark. If we were supposed to know the answers we would be born with them written on our forearms like a cheat sheet. What I think is the best use of Astrology as well as Counseling in general is looking at the trends of your life thus far and seeing the patterns you have established. Then you can work out where you want to change your patterns so that you can achieve different outcomes in your life.

It is more useful to look at the birth chart and the transits to say: “Here you have an opportunity to change how you respond to Pluto squaring your moon by allowing yourself the space to experience, process and release your feelings about jointly held resources so that you will not feel the same stress next time this aspect occurs.” than to say: “Avoid any discussion of joint finances for a while.”  Or worse: “You’ll probably end up fighting with your partner about money.” All of these are within the realm of traditional Astrological interpretation. But, for my part, I believe that by doing the first option you will change the nature of the discussion in the second option and obviate the third option altogether.

There is more to life than decreasing pain and increasing pleasure. Releasing the need to see a particular outcome can free us for growth. Back to the original two questions: “How will ______turn out? And “When will he/she call?” I would look to these questions: Why did this become an issue for you? (Like… why isn’t she calling now?) What are you to learn from this experience? What mitigations will help you find a new way of looking at this issue? Has anything else happened in your life that fits the pattern of this issue? Answering these questions can change your life. -- Inga >^..^<

We think of this newsletter as a community forum. You, our friends and clients, are welcome to participate. We celebrate diversity and we'll print whatever you send in be it Wiccan, Christian, Pagan, New Age, etc., as long as it reflects Love. You may choose a one-time holiday to write about or have a regular column. We'll give you space and a byline! Please send in your own book reviews, ideas for rituals, ideas about stones, your journal excerpts, your experiences and most of all, ask us questions. We love answering questions!

This is from Scott:

Interesting Facts:

The first couples to be shown in bed together on prime time TV were: Fred and Wilma Flintstone.

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Every day more money is printed for Monopoly than the US Treasury.

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Men can read smaller print than women can; women can hear better.

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Coca-Cola was originally green.

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It is impossible to lick your elbow.

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The state with the highest percentage of people who walk to work: Alaska

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The percentage of Africa that is wilderness: 28%

(Now get this...)  The percentage of North America that is wilderness: 38%

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The cost of raising a medium-size dog to the age of eleven: $6,400

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The average number of people airborne over the US any given hour: 61,000

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Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.

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The world's youngest parents were 8 and 9 and lived in China in 1910.

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The youngest pope was 11 years old.

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The first novel ever written on a typewriter: Tom Sawyer.

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Those San Francisco Cable cars are the only mobile National Monuments.

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Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from  history:

Spades - King David,

Hearts - Charlemagne,

Clubs -Alexander, the Great

Diamonds - Julius Caesar

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111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321

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If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle.

If the horse has one front leg in the air the person died as a result of wounds received in battle.

If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.

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Only two people signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, John Hancock and Charles Thomson. Most of the rest signed on August 2, but the last signature wasn't added until 5 years later.

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 Hershey's Kisses are called that because the machine that makes them looks like it's kissing the conveyor belt.

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Q. What occurs more often in December than any other month?

A. Conception.

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Q. Half of all Americans live within 50 miles of what?

A. Their birthplace

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Q. Most boat owners name their boats. What is the most popular boat name requested?  A. Obsession

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Q. If you were to spell out numbers, how far would you have to go until  You  would find the letter "A"?

A. One thousand

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Q. What do bulletproof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers, and laser printers all have in common?

A. All invented by women.

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Q. What is the only food that doesn't spoil?

A. Honey

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Q. There are more collect calls on this day than any other day of the year?  

A. Father's Day

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Q. What trivia fact about Mel Blanc (voice of Bugs Bunny) is the most ironic?

A. He was allergic to carrots.

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Q. What is an activity performed by 40% of all people at a party?

A. Snoop in your medicine cabinet.

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In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When  you pulled on the ropes the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence the phrase "goodnight, sleep tight".

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It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month  after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with  all  the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month we know today as the honeymoon.

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In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts. So in old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them mind their own pints and quarts and settle down. It's where we get the phrase "mind your P's and Q's"

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Many years ago in England, pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the rim or handle of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill, they used the whistle to get some service. "Wet your whistle" is the phrase inspired by this practice.

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In Scotland, a new game was invented. It was entitled Gentlemen Only Ladies

Forbidden.... and thus the word GOLF entered into the English language.

~~~~~~~~~~~AND FINALLY~~~~~~~~~~~~

At least 75% of people who read this will try to lick their elbow.

We've always wondered what would happen if we got the friends we've made through Inga's Earth Magic (IEM) into a room together. Why? Because every one of us has a unique gift to offer to the world. And if we get enough of us in one place at the same time, something magical is bound to occur.

• When: The 1st Friday of every month. Please join us for dinner. We start eating around 6:30 PM. Or join us for dessert later on!
• Where: Our place (click on LIBRARY in the navigation bar at the top of the screen and then MAP ROOM for directions)
• What to bring: Just your enthusiasm and love! There's a big pot of pasta on the stove, salad, bread and plenty of microbrews and red wine. If you have specific preferences, please bring whatever you'd like.
• How long: Until the good conversation ends! If you'd like, you can spend the night on one of the couches with the kitties or bring your sleeping bag and mat and camp out on the floor of Inga's office.
• RSVP: Just let us know in advance via e-mail or phone if you are coming and if you are bringing guests so we don't run out of food or beer!

I'm off on vacation this month. I'm motorcycling out to Glacier National Park in Montana with my brother, Paul, and friends again. Last year's trip out there was lacking closure as we were unsuccessful in gaining access to the Going to the Sun Road due to avalanches. After that, we'll be heading north into Canada to explore the Canadian Rockies. I'll publish my trip journal upon returning and if you come to the August Get-Together, I'll have some stories to share. -- Scott */:-) 

• Inga's Earth Magic Jewelry page - new format!
•  

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