031—Axis Astrology Podcast: “Holiday Gifts for the Signs”

In this episode, Alison and Arwynne discuss the transits, aspects and moon phases for November 30-December 13. Our Astrology 360 topic is holiday gifts and gatherings, so we talk about some of our gift ideas and party suggestions for all the signs on your list this holiday season. Arwynne reviews Generational Patterns Using Astrology by Edwin Rose and Alison reviews Understanding Astrology: How to Unlock the Secrets of Your Personality by Jane Struthers.

Planetary transits for November 30-December 13, 2014

30-Nov-2014 – Mercury Square Neptune: the original “head in the clouds” aspect; plan for mental befuddlement and fog
4-Dec-2014 – Mars in Aquarius: sharp, intellectual mars energy gives your ambitions a technological boost after Cap. stay
7-Dec-2014 – Sun Conjunct Mercury: New moon energy in adventurous Sagittarius boosts idealism, courage & conviction
10-Dec-2014 – Venus in Capricorn: Traditional values, conventional and class conscious.

Moon Phases:

December 6: Full moon in Gemini.

Book Reviews

Arwynne reviews Generational Patterns Using Astrology by Edwin Rose. Description from Amazon.com: “Generational Patterns Using Astrology will enable you to find your place in history. It will explain how your parent’s generation is different than yours and even the differences between your parent’s generational patterns.” Ideal for beginners, this book sticks to the basics, giving simple delineations for each of the generations defined by the outer planets, from Jupiter (which spends 1 year in each sign) through Pluto (which averages ~20 years per sign). It provides date ranges for each of the planetary placements and aspects between them, and lists thousands of celebrity examples from Leonardo Da Vinci to Lindsay Lohan.

Alison reviews Understanding Astrology: How to Unlock the Secrets of Your Personality by Jane Struthers. This beautifully illustrated, comprehensive guide shows how the planets shape and influence personality. Struthers explains the meaning of birth placing of the sun and moon, plus the five fastest moving planets, to create a complete planetary picture. Perfect for anyone interested in learning more than what a daily horoscope can provide.

Astrology 360: Holiday Gifts for the Signs

Aries

Tickets to a comedy show or to see their favorite sports team should go over well with an Aries of any age. If you’re looking for a housewarming gift for an Aries friend, try a party game designed to get their guests’ competitive juices flowing, like Cranium or Taboo. Going all out for that special Aries? Think about planning a Murder Mystery dinner party or arranging lessons with a fencing coach. Give them an adventure that gets their heart racing and they’ll thank you.

Taurus

It would be a gross oversimplification to say you can never go wrong giving chocolate to a Taurus, but there is a grain of truth in it too—as long as it’s very good chocolate. In fact, “very good” should be your guide for anything gifted to a Taurus. They are the connoisseurs of the zodiac. It needn’t be expensive, but they do appreciate quality and they’ll love that you cared enough to give the best, whether you choose flowers, wine, music or something lovely and scented.

Gemini

The Gemini attention span is notoriously short, but they will always appreciate a gift that’s thoughtful, entertaining and new to them. When I was 12, I gave my Gemini grandfather a letter opener for his birthday. It was a clever design that hid the paper-slicing blade inside a smooth gold “U” shape that fit nicely in your hand. He loved it. Sure, he would have pretended to regardless, but you just could tell he thought it was a cool gift. He always made a big production of using it whenever I was visiting, and if someone else was in the room, he would show it off and extol its various selling points. Bottom line: Geminis are great gift recipients sure to accept your offering with sincere and effusive gratitude.

Cancer

My favorite “gifting a Cancer” story happened about 10 years ago when I was working with two real estate agents, a Cancer and an Aquarian who’d been in business together for 25 years. The Cancer was a history buff whose favorite topics were Napoleon and the Titanic, so for his birthday I bought him a beautifully illustrated coffee table book about the Titanic. He gave me a gigantic hug and then hoisted one foot up onto my desk so he could pull up his pant leg and show me the bruise on his shin. “This morning,” he grinned, “I was rushing around trying to find my car keys and we have a LOT of books—all the bookcases are full, there are piles of books on the floor in front of them and stacked in sideways on top of other books—it’s a bloody mess! This morning, I tripped over a pile of books and bruised the hell out of my shin on the corner of one huge book that sticks out from the bottom shelf… and it was this book!” As you can imagine, my face was a mask of perplexed fascination. “I probably own 25 or 30 books on The Titanic, but this one,” he said shaking the book in his hands for emphasis, “this one is my favorite. You have very good taste in books, my friend!” Then he kissed my forehead and I exchanged it for one about the Hindenburg from the same series, which he really liked too. I’ll never forget that, though; it was the best gift fail ever.

Leo

In my experience, Leos are great appreciators of the arts. Depending on how well you know your Leo, giving them a piece by their favorite artist or school of design could go over well. Some Leo men love cologne, just make sure it’s their signature scent, and not something you liked when you smelled it on someone else. They can be territorial and, don’t forget, scent is an important identifier among the jungle cats. You can’t go wrong giving Leo the gift of entertainment, be it movie passes, gift tickets to the live event of their choosing, or a night of improv theater where the audience is part of the show (if you do that last one, though, make very sure that they are indeed a Leo, and not a Virgo).

Virgo

I don’t know who said it first, but Mystic Medusa probably said it best: “Giving a gift to a Virgo? They only really like books. If you buy them something which proves you have actually listened to their careful little hints, even better.” As a Virgo myself, I can’t improve on that advice! Books, gift cards for books, those little clip-on book lights—those things have appallingly short battery life, so don’t worry if they already have one. Give it a week and they’ll be thanking you all over again. If you really want to win the heart that special Virgo, fill up a flash drive with new audio books. (Hint, hint!)

Libra

There’s no law that says any one sign has a monopoly on good taste, but it is fair to say that Libras are especially attuned to aesthetics. Even if they don’t seem to apply it to their own wardrobe or décor, most Libras have an eye for symmetry and style, and they tend to favor the timeless over the trendy. This does make them harder to shop for, I’ll be honest. But the good thing is that, even if your gift misses the mark spectacularly, Libra will never let you know it. That sweater you knitted one Christmas with arms so long it could double as a straightjacket? Of course, darling; they wear it all the time. That’s why it’s in the laundry basket right now (just like every other time you visit).

Scorpio

Scorpios can be difficult to shop for, too, because they can be so maddeningly opaque about what they want, leaving you to throw out probing guesses to smoke them out—or worse, to skulk around in the hopes of finding some tidbit they’ve left lying around that might clue you in to some secret hobby or collection they’ve been hiding. Come right out and ask, and they’ll counter with feigned asceticism (“oh, I don’t need anything—the holidays are so commercialized“). Help them keep their digital data as inscrutable as their facial expressions with an RFID-blocking wallet or device sleeve.

Sagittarius

If the most important person in your life is a Sagittarius, nothing beats the gift of travel. A taste of adventure will sustain them long after their bags are unpacked and the last of the travel-sized shampoos and hand lotions are gone or lost at the bottom of their purse. Sadges love to explore a variety of topics in as much depth as possible. On a budget? Take them on a guided walking tour (just search your city + “walking tours”), find out when your local zoo, aquarium, observatory, library, university or museum has special exhibitions, lectures or free classes—anything that offers an opportunity to learn about something new and exotic.

In Vancouver? Check out Walking a Labyrinth at Spanish Banks, as recommended by Alison.

Capricorn

My no-nonsense Capricorn grandmother engaged in hobbies like knitting and gardening and, with six children and 16 grandchildren, it’s no surprise that she was a woman constantly in motion. She enjoyed practical gifts like winter gloves, flower pots, picture frames and leather luggage sets. If you know your Capricorn well, give then something that feeds one of their many hobbies, to help them stay in motion. They won’t be offended by a pragmatic gift card either.

Aquarius

The obvious answer is “technology” but that leaves an enormous range of possibilities for every age, interest and budget. I’ve had good luck with video games, gadgets and gadget accessories, software and, believe it or not, “contributions in the name of” (but I don’t recommend that last one unless you’re certain it will go over well).

Pisces

Pisceans sometimes pretend they’re not interested in material things, but even the most stalwart ascetic will enjoy the right music, movies, photo albums or camera gear (the better to pursue their latest high-concept, creative endeavor or moneymaking scheme).

Check out Alison’s excellent Christmas shopping posts at Starzology.com: