www.theholisticfrog.com
oh my word… May 16, 2009
(Image © Copyright Global Canopy Programme / Katherine Secoy taken in the Danum Valley Indonesia)
Mercury Retrograde May 8, 2009
Well, i am quite awe struck right now, i have been feeling very erratic all week, very unfocused, and very emotional (i mean, more than usual, ha!) and i have lost my diary so am completely anchorless until i gather up all my significant dates and appointments into a new one. I have been extremely frustrated as i am waiting on several important emails, and some of the ones i am sending were never received. gasp…
So, when my friend sent me a link explaining retro mercury, i just knew i had to read it, as i am not very well read on astrology. oh boy, did it blow me away… i will copy and paste some of the information that is really relevant, and really, quite fascinating.
the article is written by Rob Tillet, for this website. astrologycom.com
At 05:01 UT (Universal Time), on Thursday, May 7th, 2009, Mercury the cosmic trickster turns retrograde at 1°44′ Gemini, in the sign of the Twins, sending communications, travel, appointments, mail and the www into a general snarlup! The retro period begins some days before the actual turning point (as Mercury slows) and lasts for three weeks or so, until May 31, when the Winged Messenger reaches his direct station. At this time he halts and begins his return to direct motion through the zodiac.
A planet is described as retrograde when it appears to be moving backwards through the zodiac. According to modern science, this traditional concept arises in the illusory planetary motion created by the orbital rotation of the earth with relation to other planets in our solar system. Planets are never actually retrograde or stationary, they just seem that way due to this cosmic shadow-play.
What does Mercury affect?
In general, Mercury rules thinking and perception, processing and disseminating information and all means of communication, commerce, education and transportation.
Mercury retrograde gives rise to personal misunderstandings; flawed, disrupted, or delayed communications, negotiations and trade; glitches and breakdowns with phones, computers, buses, cars, and trains. And all of these problems usually arise because some crucial piece of information, or component, has gone astray or awry.
It is not excatly wise to make important decisions while Mercury is retrograde, since it is likely that such decisions will be clouded by misinformation, poor communication and careless thinking. Mercury is all about mental clarity and the power of the mind, so when Mercury is retrograde these intellectual characteristics tend to be less acute than usual, as the critical faculties are dimmed. Make sure you pay attention to the small print!
The key issue here is one of focus. Mercury’s retro phase tends to bring unforeseen changes and blockages, but the aggravation and frustration that many of us experience during these periods is often due to our own inability to roll with the punches. Is this due to our ego-fixation?
Mercury sets out to restructure our thinking processes and for many of us this is painful and frustrating. Unresolved issues from the past tend to push themselves forward. Moreover, these experiences reveal flaws in our internal organisation as well as our external planning, which can make us feel foolish and inadequate.
Mercury retrograde, like any cosmic aspect, affects people differently, depending on where it hits their personal charts. Some people actually prosper under a retro Mercury, especially if Mercury is retrograde but otherwise well-aspected in their birth charts.
It is also a time when matters begun under a previous retro period will come to fruition, or completion as the case may be. Firm decisions that have been previously made when Mercury is travelling normally through the zodiac may be implemented or finalised while Mercury is retrograde without too much worry, for experience shows that this can be done without undue problems arising.
This really could have been written exclusively for me, and some of my friends have also experienced overly strange misunderstandings the past few days. i remain in awe at how much i have to learn, but more importantly, that the universe made sure i got hold of this information, as i am suddenly much calmer and beginning to let things wash over me at last.
pesky mercury and it’s retrograde shenanigans eh?
a little foot stomp… May 3, 2009
written on 24.04.09,
Gosh. Anger. Where to start? There are so many facets of this potent little emotion, of which I wouldn’t dream of starting to elaborate on right now, nor would I profess to claim expert knowledge over. It can be breathtakingly destructive over time, but also, very therapeutic, in the right doses. It is an essential part of many healing processes, and a great tool for releasing and shifting old energy patterns. But.
On occasion, it’s acceptable to get angry for what appears to be no good reason. Sometimes, it doesn’t make sense to anyone but you. And I have recently discovered that, actually, that is perfectly acceptable. I have spent the majority of my adult life trying to keep the peace with everyone I know, rationalizing, justifying and feeling guilty for feelings that are just not always sweetness and light.
I think I have fallen into the pattern of extending my empathic duties and sensibilities as a holistic therapist into my private life. So much of what I do, is about helping people feel good about themselves, on all three levels, the physical, mental and spiritual. I love what I can do for the people who come to see me and often times, clients go away with a newfound clarity and focus.
So, when something bad happens to me, I try to work out the ‘life lesson’ behind it, when people let me down, I always try and see their point of view, their thought process, their happiness in relation to the decision they have just made, and I rationalize their behavior accordingly. My Achilles heel? I tend over think things…
In the grand scheme of things, it’s not about ‘me’, so I can’t very well get angry about it, right?
What I have come to learn, is that I am the sum of many parts, not just that of my profession, and sometimes, deep down in my gut, if I want to stomp my foot, well, I will! And that won’t take anything away from being a good therapist.
To err is human, but to cop a strop on occasion is divine!
just plain weird… April 30, 2009
sometimes, when you walk down the street, you see things that are just plain weird…
massage for chapstick… April 30, 2009
so. i learned a valuable lesson yesterday. follow your gut insticts, even on the small things. i had a walk in client yesterday, who turned out to be a lady i had massaged almost a year ago, so there was no need to go through her contact details. i gave her a fab massage, she felt great, and then when it came time to pay, she said that as it had been uplanned, she didn’t have the cash, and was going to pay by card downstairs in the shop. no problems, people do this all the time.
i went downstairs with her to give her my latest leaflet, and then left her at the cash register to get myself some lunch. when i returned, as a matter of habit, i asked if my lady had paid, and was surprised to find she had not paid for any massage, but had purchased a chapstick instead. curious.
now, this has happened before when clients have been so blissed out they don’t know what planet they’re even on, get to their car, and come all the way back to pay. and sometimes, i’m too busy yacking i forget to ask for payment. there have even been times when regular clients just forget their money, coming back the next day to square things up. all is fine with me. but as i had talked to her about payment two minutes earlier, and left her at the register, i just can’t see how that, somehow, translated into a chapstick purchase instead.
the shop have been trying to ring her this morning, and i also have her address, but i hope i don’t have to take it that far. i’m frustrated with myself more than anything, because i as i was racing out the door to grab some lunch, my gut was telling me i should stay to make sure she paid. i didn’t quite like that thought, so turned my back on the feeling, and, quite likely, my money.
i hope to edit this entry in the next little while, as i still like to think it was a simple oversight on her part, for which she will be a little red faced about, and end it at that.
love and light
the holistic frog
23.42pm. well. thankfully, i have edit, which means i have money. she wasn’t best pleased apparently, (about what?) but then, i wasn’t best pleased to not have been paid in the first place… new hairs, here i come!
Hello world! April 28, 2009
hello and welcome to the holistic frog…
My name is vanessa and I am a holistic massage therapist and reflexologist working in Norwich, which can be found in the United Kingdom. I woke up this morning with the thought that I wanted to create a holistic blog that encompasses my love for my trade, but with a side order of quirkiness. I will be writing about anything even vaguely connected to the holistic lifestyle I lead. And this can and will include, everything from my personal thoughts on ear candling to what homeopathic preparations I take before and during a tattoo sitting. And what’s with the holistic frog? patience my little birds, i’ll get to that too…
A few of us have decided to produce a lovely little free, well, ecclectic/holistic/fanzine for want of better words, which we are writing and printing ourselves, so if you live in Norwich, chances are you will start to see it filter out over the coming months. More’s the point, if you have found yourself here at the holistic frog, chances are it’s where you got the link from!
We don’t know what to call it yet, but I am three pages in, and we hope to have it out by the beginning of may.
the holistic frog 
