It has been a few weeks since I have sent one of these out.

To be honest, I have been doing a reasonable amount of flat-lining, although hopefully have been faking reasonably well through it. Not that things have been really crap (except for when I arrived at work Monday before last and had to flush the fish), just a general air of shittiness and fatigue. The world has gone from its normal technicolour to what photographers call 18% grey- a neutral nothingness. I haven’t even been feeling anything with the same level of intensity that I usually do. But in amongst that some real beams of light have come on through, and I am starting to see through the nasty grey veil that Saturn has been casting over my Moon of the last few weeks.

I was in Melbourne last weekend with hubby reclaiming some brownie points after having been away so much this year. For some reason that city recharges my batteries both physically and emotionally… and always has done. I don’t know whether it is the air or the shops or the wine or the walking or the being out of Sydney that does it, but it makes me think about stuff that I usually try to bury.

The one real lesson is that of dreams. I have a lot of dreams and trust me, you never want to get inside me head- it is a fantastical place. But the thing about dreams is that they stay as dreams until they are brought out of the bucket marked “Bucket List” and put onto the table. Once they are out there in fresh air with dates and milestones around them they can’t be called dreams any more- they are real. They have become goals. That sounds so Saturn.

I have been thinking a lot recently about everything that is in my bucket list and why many of those items have never seen daylight. My BMF scored a direct hit on a bucket list item the other day & I was so happy for him I cried. If he had been near I would have been there to hug him as he crossed the finish line.  I have to admit, though, to being just a wee bit jealous that he had succeeded while I was still busy making excuses and feeling scared & inadequate. I don’t usually get inspired by what other people do, although I may be inspired by them on a personal level. This time he has made me even more determined to succeed.

Back in January Saturn went retrograde. At that time I wrote the following:

Saturn rules the supports, structures, rules and responsibilities in our life. In theory, Saturn is the fun cop who says “no, it is time you went home young lady,” when every part of you is crying out to say yes. When Saturn is retrograde, he is sending you back to your room to think very carefully about what you are doing, goals you have started working towards and the commitments you have made. It is sort of like a planetary cooling off period when it is OK to re-assess and change direction or re-assess and say “no”. This is not the time to make new commitments or start new projects, but great to sort out just what you want out of existing goals.

In true Saturn style, he is giving you until the end of May to sort your shit out, get rid of any frustrations and re-think the viability of any promises you have already made.

Saturn retrograde can be (& has been) frustrating as we go inwards rather than externally. I have to say that my goals now, and I do for possibly the 1^st time in many years have a concrete personal goal, are very different to how they may have appeared at the start of this year. In a way the direction is opening up. As is usual for me, I am still having a lot of “not good enough”, “will never be good enough” moments, but I am trying not to listen to those and concentrate instead on the absolute possibility.

On the Blogs

I have been mixing it up a bit lately with some foodie blogs and some travel stuff (my guide to Melbourne my way). To be honest, I have been creatively flat as well recently and not been writing half as much as I need to. I have especially been rebelling against the posts that I am supposed to be completing. Anyway, I am in the process of updating Gemini posts, so keep an eye out for them.

Here at Chez Tracey we are addicted to Masterchef Australia, so have been doing our own little pressure tests at home and trying to replicate the Masterclasses. Don’t be surprised to see a few more of these turning up on the blog over the next couple of weeks as the show progresses.

Astrologically, the big deal is around the ingress (thats a fancy astrological technical word for sign change) of Uranus into Aries. This has not happened since the 1930s, so is a pretty big generational deal. I will join the blogging bandwagon and post something over the next few days.

Uranus in Aries brings to mind the Madonna song Jump:

There’s only so much you can learn in one place
The more that I wait, the more time that I waste

I haven’t got much time to waste, it’s time to make my way
I’m not afraid of what I’ll face, but I’m afraid to stay
I’m going down my own road and I can make it alone
I’ll work and I’ll fight, Till I find a place of my own

Anyway more on this over the next week. Uranus does go retrograde early in July, so will go back into Pisces in August where he will have one last shot at shaking up the fishies before leaving for good in March 2011. Personally, I will be glad to see him join forces again with my Pisces Moon without the over-riding responsibility of Saturn watching.

What’s happening up there?

For some reason I almost miss the Neptune retrograde every year- which is weird given that Neptune is the modern ruler of Pisces, so (with Jupiter) jointly rules my chart. Anyway, Neptune is currently stationary and about to turn retrograde until the beginning of November.

But what does this mean? Key words we associate with Neptune are intuitive, deceptive, fantasy, dreamy, highly sensitised, escapist and delusional. Yep Pisces in a planet.

During the retrograde period, Neptune becomes more Neptunian. Your intuition will be heightened and you may suddenly get insights into something you have been struggling with. Seeing things clearer, you may no longer be able to deny truths that you have been…well, denying- something that I personally do an awful lot of. Sometimes it can be hard to listen to what we need to listen to- and that is where the escapist nature of Neptune may also come into play. During the retrograde period you may be more inclined to run away into whatever is your favourite way of escaping. Not a great idea- you will have to emerge from the self induced alcoholic haze (or is that just me) at some point & see reality for what it is.

Who is affected? Pisces, Pisces, Pisces. Anyone with a Pisces Sun, Moon or Ascendant will become even more essentially Piscean. At this point I should issue a general warning for anyone & everyone who knows me! Also impacted are anyone with lots of planets in the 12th house and especially people with planets at around 29-24 degrees of Aquarius, Leo, Taurus and Scorpio.

Plenty of action coming up in the next few weeks with Mars (finally), Jupiter and Mercury changing signs…but more on those later!

 Sunday night is Masterchef Invention Test (& ironing night… I reckon there is a 3 glass load tonight!), so I better keep moving. Until next time,

Did curiosity kill the cat? If you work with a Gemini, you need to read this. Gemini at work for Your Career & the Cosmos.

With all the astrological activity in the sky, a little travel blog…just because I can…. My Guide to Melbourne, my way.

I remember I remember
I go leaps and bounds
Down past the river
And across the playing fields
The fields all empty
Only for the burning leaves

Leaps and Bounds, Paul Kelly

Exhibition Buildings- the site of Australia's 1st parliament

I spent last weekend in Melbourne with my husband recharging batteries and brownie points. It is seriously the most beautiful time of the year down there- cool, crisp, clear (usually) and not too cold. The autumn leaves are out in force and the parks are full of their crunchiness.

I know the city pretty well after spending some great times down there for work over the last 5 or 6 years… and I love it. I would live here in a shot if that was possible. My husband says that If I ever ran away he would know exactly where to find me- either down near Fawkner Park in Prahran/ South Yarra or on St Kilda Pier… he is probably only half joking.

Anyway, here is my guide to my favourite places in Melbourne- in no particular order- there are so very very very many more… All pics are by me.

1. The MCG.
   

   MCG on game night

    I saw my first AFL game here last weekend- Collingwood vs Geelong, a top of the table clash. The sheer excitement of being part of 88000+ people can’t be described. The game is fast, the eye candy on the field is sweet indeed.  Even if not game day, the “G” runs a great visitors tour which takes you behind the scenes of this landmark.

   

   MCG- on the behind the scenes tour

2. Markets. There are a few around. St Kilda Markets on the Esplanade is an institution. Markets are also down at Southbank at the Arts Centre. This one is about to be refurbished and around 60 stalls cut, so this one is changing. A recent discovery is the Rose St Artists Market in Fitzroy- really well worth a look- smallish, and really great quality art, fashion, jewellery and bags. Abbotsford Convent has monthly shirt and skirt markets which are worth a look- as is the Convent itself.
3. Food Markets. While on the subject of markets, the fresh food markets at Prahran and Queen Victoria Markets are both made in foodie heaven. Abbotsford Convent also does a slow food market on the 4^th Saturday of each month. St Kilda also has a food market one Saturday a month, as do other suburbs.
4. Grossi Florentini Cellar Bar. This qualifies on both the food list and the favourites list. I grab a pasta and a glass of sangiovese every time I am in Melbourne. Brilliant value for less than $25. Sitting at the tiny tables or at the long bar, watching the trams in Bourke St go by and flirting with Italian waiters is an extremely satisfying way of spending a hour or so.  Some of the best past in town. And did I mention the waiters? Also attached is the really upmarket posh put on a tie restaurant- Grossi Florentini- and the more medium priced Bistro.
   

   Grossi Florentini- The Cellar Bar

5. Shopping. Melbourne is more than mall and High St shopping. Head straight for the laneways, the strip shops and the inner city suburbs. Suburbs like Fitzroy, St Kilda, Prahran have some one-off boutiques by local designers. Some of these also sell through the artists markets (like my favourite handbag shop Mattt). 
   

   Vasette- a florists in Brunswick St, Fitzroy

    The laneways in the city are full of cutting edge fashion and shoes to die for.  If you are after high end brands, Melbourne is full of them. Also shops such as Husk on the way up the Collins St hill have some really interesting jewellery designers and plenty of gorgeous clothes I could never fit into, let alone justify the cost of.

   

   Lane shoppingoff Flinders Lane

6. Spellbox. I just love this place. Tarot cards, readers, books, spells, crystal balls, all types of wiccan paraphernalia, but also good fun. Spellbox is always (and I mean always) packed with more people than can move. The sister shop The Witches House further up little Bourke St is also worth a look.
7. Street Art. Some call it graffiti, I call it art.
   

   Degraves Lane

   There are a couple of companies that specialise in walking tours of the laneways, but some wandering will get you where you need to go.

   

   Hosier Lane

   Degraves Lane, Hosier Lane, AC/DC Lane, Rankins Lane & heaps more in the city. Also wander down Gertrude St, Brunswick St & Rose St in Fitzroy.

   

   AC/DC Lane

8. Street Sculpture.  Take a walk across the footbridge (a piece of sculpture in itself) at Spencer St Station to Docklands. Alternatively take the free City Circle tram around there. Some cool street sculptures like Cow up a Tree and some really interesting architecture. Other random pieces are dotted all through the city.
9. Parks. Melbourne is full of green spaces. No matter the time of year, they are full of people walking dogs, doing boot camp, reading books, playing park football, kicking leaves. Room to breathe.
   

   Exhibition Gardens

10. St Kilda Pier. This is one of my most favourite spots in the world. I have spent many an hour standing on the edge down here letting the wind blow away whatever fug is in my brain.
    

    St Kilda Pier

11. Brighton Beach-houses. Take the 6km boardwalk from St Kilda to Brighton and check out the Port Phillip Bay coastline and the brightly painted beach houses.
12. Bookshops. So many great ones. And not just your normal franchise book stores. These are real book shops.  Shops specialising in books for cooks, books for sports fans, books for supernatural fans. If you have an interest, Melbourne has a book shop specialising in them. My personal favourite is Hill of Content- you can find it just past Exhibition St on your way up the Bourke St Hill.
13. Federation Square. This place is a little like Collingwood Football Club- you either love it or hate it- there is no middle ground. I am in the love it camp…not that I am a Collingwood fan, of course. People eat here, drink here, party here, meet here, watch art here, watch major sporting events on the big screen here.
    

    Fed Square from the Yarra path

14. Flinders St Station.
    

    Flinders St Station

    Meet you under the clocks- everyone does…

15. The Age Good Food Guide. Grab a copy before hitting town. Restaurant listings and ratings. Enough said… except perhaps that heaps of really well rated restaurants in the city and Southbank offer pre theatre dinner specials before 7pm. Brilliant food and good value.
16. Laneway Eating. Some of the best food & coffee can be found down the lanes. Hardware Lane, Degraves Lane, Block Lane are all jam packed. Also worth a look is Ca de Vin in the laneway beside the GPO in Bourke St Mall which, incidentally is also a great place to shop and browse.
17. Richmond Hill Cafe & Larder. Choose your cheese from the wonderfully stinky fromagerie and match it with a glass of vino. http://www.rhcl.com.au/ Perfect late lunch, keep walking up Bridge Rd past the MCG & Punt Rd. Or you can catch a tram from Flinders St…but then you still have walking to do in order to make room for dinner…
18. Koko Black Chocolates. You just have to. There is no choice. http://www.kokoblack.com.au/
    

    Koko Black in the Royal Arcade

19. Tea Indulgence. If you are into afternoon teas, which I’m not really, the Windsor Hotel is a classic, but bookings are essential. The other hotels do them too, so check out the offerings from Sofitel, Hyatt and the Westin- all up Collins St.
20. Other great spots to eat in & around the city are: Some truly wonderful pre Xmas memories of Punch Lane Wine Bar (Spring St end of Little Bourke St); The European (also in Spring St); heaps of great spots in Southbank & Docklands; Cafe e Cuccina (Chapel St, South Yarra); the dumplings at Dim Sum Cafe (corner of Exhibition & Little Bourke St) or Hu Tong in Market Lane opposite the Flower Drum. (I haven’t eaten at Flower Drum- arguably the priciest & best Cantonese in the country, but they do reasonably priced lunch specials that are special indeed).  Donovans on the beach at St Kilda is lovely for a special occasion, but if you want fish & chips, grab them from one of the beachside cafes near the Baths. For Greek go to Lonsdale St, for Asian to Little Bourke. Italian is in Carlton, although Jaspers Coffee in Fitzroy smells 100% caffeinated. The best of European cakeshops line Ackworth St, St Kilda- I once brought a rum baba and the makings of a long black home because thats what Grant said he wanted from Melbourne! In short? Just follow your nose!

I want to see the sun come up

On St Kilda Esplanade

Where the beach needs reconstruction

Where the palm trees have it hard.

I’d give you all of Sydney Harbour,

All that land & all that water

For that one sweet promenade.

From St Kilda to Kings Cross, Paul Kelly

I have just realised that I haven’t blogged in 2 weeks and the Universe is passing me by.

Yes, I am still having the heaviest of Saturn transits (Saturn/Moon opposition) and quite frankly I have felt depleted and flat- and for someone like me who likes to FEEL, flat-lining is crappy. And, I really don’t need Saturn’s help to feel heavy and old- I am quite capable of doing that on my own.

It doesn’t help that I know what I want and am feeling frustrated in going after it. It doesn’t help that there I so many reasons why Ishouldn’t go after it- almost as many reasons as why I should. It doesn’t help that I feel like I am in some kind of limbo.  It doesn’t help that it feels like the lead weight on my chest is too heavy to move so I can move forward. It doesn’t help that I am full of excuses.

Todays Full Moon (around 9am here in Sydney) is in Sagittarius. Sagittarius is about more than anything absolute truth, absolute justice, absolute integrity. The Full Moon, as we know, casts a great big spotlight on what area of life needs to be exposed.

My friend AstroSparkles wrote this on her Facebook page (if you are on Facebook & don’t follow her, you should!) yesterday:

“Sometimes, we go through life with a bit (or a lot) of a facade. There’s a face we put on for friends, for colleagues, for the public .. even for ourselves. Someone asks us how we are and automatically, the answer is OK. Fine. Great even. And often it is. But when it’s not, every now and then something comes along and *pings* us. And when we’re *pinged*, we realise that maybe it’s not OK. Fine. Great even. We want more, we catch a glimpse of where it’s not ok, fine, great even, we catch a glimpse of what might be, if “things” were different.

We glimpse our Truth.

Has something been fighting it’s way to the surface in your life recently? Are there realisations coming through, sometimes from unexpected sources? Have things felt off kilter, not quite right, missing? Alternately, have you been seeking something different, something new, something *else*?

The Sagittarius Full Moon is one such *ping*. Sagittarius is the zodiac’s seeker of Truth – in fact demander of truth – and right now you might be feeling agitated, restless, raring to find a new experience that will bring you closer to your Truth. The full moon is illuminating what’s in shadow and bringing it to light, Sagittarius is granting you the freedom to go after it. ”

I couldn’t say it better myself. Nor could I express better the way that things are at present. I am great at the facade and allow very few very privileged (although they may not think that) people to see below the mask. There is a reason for that. To see behind the mask is to be vulnerable and risk rejection.

This Full Moon squares my 12th house Mercury (yes, the worst Mercury in history). ThisFull Moon is asking me to see the hidden truth. Honestly? I think I already know the answer- whether I can acknowledge it and act on it is an entirely different thing.

Do you have a favourite dish that you continue to order in the hope that you won’t be disappointed, but…?

For me, it is the Parmi- Veal or Chicken Parmiagiana- a quintessential Australian-Italian classic (if indeed there is such a thing) which for some reason flourishes in the pubs and clubs of regional Victoria (I have had a particularly good one at the pub in Healesville in the Yarra Valley) and Melbourne (the pub on the corner of William St in West Melbourne springs to mind), but simply can’t seem to be replicated in quite the same way north of the border. And it isn’t for want of trying.

I have ordered the parmi in RSL clubs, Bowling Clubs, Sports Clubs, Pubs- all traditional purveyors of the parmi. I have held high hopes for parmi ordered in Italian Restaurants. There have been times when I have thought I have found it- a decent parmi in NSW- but have been disappointed all too often: the meat is over-cooked, the crumbs boring, the cheese overdone, the tomato straight out of a bottle…. the list goes on.

So, what exactly is a parmiagiana?  Essentially it is a fillet of (usually) veal or chicken pounded evenly into a schnitzel and crumbed before being fried. The crumbs are critical- preferably made fresh from sourdough bread with a touch of herbs (I use thyme and parsley). I also like to put just a smidgen of freshly grated parmesan in my crumb too. I also like to put my schnitzel into cornflour rather than normal flour before the eggy bready stage… no idea why… in fact, no idea if it even makes a difference.

The schnitzel should then be fried in just enough oil to leave a golden crust, ensuring the meat inside is still tender and not able to be used as a kitchen weapon. It can then be popped onto some kitchen paper to get rid of any nasty greasies, before being topped with ham, tomato & cheese… but not just any ham, tomato and cheese.  I use thinly sliced parma ham, which we just warm through a tad. Then some tomato is added, but again, not just any tomato sauce… a tomato sauce that is enriched with garlic, finely diced shallot and some red wine and then reduced until it will sit beautifully on top of the parma. The whole thing is then topped with sliced mozzarella and popped under the grill until the cheese melts. Served with steamed veg and maybe a couple of baby potatoes, this is the ultimate parmi.

In the Australian movie The Castle, The Kerrigan family (don’t write to me if I spelt it wrong) all sit around the kitchen table every night eating whatever has been lovingly created by Sal Kerrigan. Each night she puts a traditional homely Aussie meal on the table. Every night they have the same conversation- something like:

Darryl (who thinks the Sun rises and sets with his wife and family): So what do you call this love?

Sal (looking proud as punch): Lamb Cutlets Darl.

Darryl: Well, you’ve done something special to them. Kids, why do you need to eat out when you get meals like this at home?

Strangely enough, a similar conversation went around our table the other night after the creation of the perfect parmi… which leads me nicely into Venus in Cancer and one I prepared earlier… last year in fact…

This post appeared last year as “So Does This mean we Are Getting Married?”

There’s this little piece of astro humour (See Sex, Lies and Bodypaint) about the one line which each of the signs might say after a one night stand. For Cancer it might be “Does this mean we are getting married?”

If you have Venus in Cancer, you take relationships very very seriously, and are quite conservative in your attitude to love and romance. In fact, the whole idea of a one night stand line for Cancer is a bit of an oxymoronJ. Love is for life.

Like the other water signs, Venus in Cancer is all about emotion. Where Pisces is romantic and Scorpio sexual, Cancer is caring and nurturing.

It has been (unfairly?) said that Venus in Cancer can be nagging, clingy and manipulative. But consider the life of a Crab- it has to ride the tides of the ocean by clinging hard to rocks for its’ survival – so it is when Venus is in Cancer- it will cling on and on and on and on- often way after the relationship is dead and really starting to stink. Nothing you can do will shake them off. Nor will they leave of their own accord- after all, you need them, and Cancer needs to be needed! But unlike Pisces who will be all desperate and pining  and make you feel sorry for them, Venus in Cancer has a Mothers ability to produce guilt- without you really knowing why you should be feeling guilty- a talent indeed.  Venus in Cancer does not like conflict, so brooding silences and retreat are usually great indicators that things are not FINE.

What is fair to say, is that under the hard outer shell, Venus in Cancer is fearful of rejection.  This highly sensitive, maternal, compassionate and completely loyal sign will do anything and everything to protect and nurture its’ relationships. The more they do for you, the more you need them and the less likely you are to leave. It is well worth remembering this if your partner has Venus in Cancer- the occasional thoughtful gesture will make him/her feel loved, needed and cherished far more than will flashy bling- although, that is always nice as well…. Never ever think that you can buy them- with Venus in Cancer, it is all about emotion and feeling.

Although more practical than romantic, Venus in Cancer will pack your bags with your favourite things  (and snacks)before you go away and welcome you home with a hearty meal – proving that no one looks after you quite like she does. In fact, you will rarely go hungry if your partner has Venus in Cancer- although you may have problems in dragging your love out of their shell into the open- nothing beats an economical home cooked meal.  Venus in Cancer will be sensitive to your mood as soon as you walk through the door and act accordingly. Venus in Cancer will help out around the house- often without being asked… yep, even the men. In the workplace, even the most businesslike Venus in Cancer will understand if you aren’t feeling well and will genuinely be interested in your family and photos. Abuse that trust? Take advantage of that compassion? Venus in Cancer will forgive, but rarely forget.

As I have mentioned in previous blogs, not only does your Venus placement indicate your preferred relationship style and what makes you feel good, but in a mans chart, the Venus placement will also indicate what he is looking for in a partner. If your man has Venus in Cancer, he will be attracted to partners with Cancer characteristics- perhaps someone who will look after him, cook for him, possibly even mother him. He will also be looking for a relationship that is committed, loyal and predictable.

Venus in Cancer? Get past that craggy shell, expect a little sideways dodging of issues, learn to read the different interpretations of FINE, and you will never be hungry again.