5 Tips For A Better Communication Using Mercury Retrograde

© August 2010 by Fabienne Lopez

Mercury Retrograde in Virgo: Reviewing our Communication Patterns

Mercury retrogrades 3 or 4 times a year. The third Mercury retrograde will happen in Virgo (8/20/2010 to 9/12/2010). Combining Mercury (communication, thought) with the qualities of Virgo (precision, logical, quick, practical and common sense) and you have a recipe on learning how to communicate with less static in our daily communications. A good usage of Mercury retrograde in a Virgo period.

Communication skills are something we are always emphasizing in our workplace, resumes, daily life etc… But how many of us are really capable of effective communication? How many of us know how to communicate in a way that conveys the message clearly?

The Emotional Cost of Miscommunication

At the same time, we complain about being misinterpreted and misunderstood. Ineffective communication skills can cause havoc and impact the quality of our life. The book by John Gray, Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus, illustrated the difficulties and the cost both genders encounter because of poor communications in the increase of conflicts, misunderstanding, hurt and resentment. No wonder communication skills are so valued. So much can be lost in translation—the coding and encoding that is done between sender and receiver. Yet, our ability to effectively translate and to clearly convey our intention and message is extremely important in our daily life. It is this combination of both clearly conveying and accurately receiving that makes up effective communication.

Inspired by the upcoming Mercury Retrograde in Virgo, here are 5 tips to improve communication

How to Nurture Your Creativity with Astrology

© August 2010 by Fabienne Lopez

Are you creative?

When I ask this question, my answer is generally No!

But sometimes, just sometimes, it’s a Yes!

Even then, there might be a few seconds of delay, before I get the positive response delivered in various levels of conviction.

Remember when you were a kid and being a princess, a shiny knight, a super-hero was easy, fun and effortless? Do you still remember when you showed off your latest abstract wall painting or sculpture made with all sorts of pasta with the certitude that it was absolutely perfect? Back then, you could sing, dance, paint, draw and imagine without hesitation, doubt or fear.

So what happened?

1 Simple Trick for Overcoming the Creativity Fear

© July 2010 by Fabienne Lopez

Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt

As a beginner writer you may think that each time you get stuck in your creative process, there is something intrinsically wrong with you. That’s your fear speaking! At that moment, when Fear has grabbed your attention and you are all ears to what it is telling you, remember:  Fear is the enemy of creativity. So what do you do to overcome that emotion?

The Daemon of Creativity

©July 2010 by Fabienne Lopez

Creativity and suffering are not synonymous! There I said it! As I undertake my first steps into creativity, I am struck by the enormous pressure creative people have to bear.

If they are unknown, they have to deal with the fear based reaction of their family and friends. “Aren’t you afraid you are never going to be successful? Aren’t you afraid of the continuous rejection you will have to deal with? Aren’t you afraid that you are going to devote your entire life to this craft and nothing will ever come out of it? No money, no rewards, no glory? Aren’t you afraid at the end of your life to see only heaps of broken dreams slathered with the bitter taste of failure?

3 Tips for A Painless Break Up: Saturn in Libra

© July 2010 by Fabienne Lopez

Let’s face it, with Saturn entering Libra on July 21st, 2010, for a two year stay (until October 2012), relationships will be in the hot seat. Many relationships will end as Saturn demands a pruning of all relationships that have become stale.

Back in March of this year, I gave out some tips on how to develop healthy relationships as a way to harness the lessons and energy that Saturn requires us to develop in our relationships. Part of the development also includes how to end a relationship in a way that is healthy and positive.

With Saturn in Libra, ending a long-term relationship can be a depressing, painful, awful, and really hard on your self-esteem. Many times, the break up requires a lot of hard work. So how to break up as positively as possible? Time to use the Libra way of balancing things.

How to use the Moon Phases to your Advantage

©July 2010 by Fabienne Lopez

The Moon Phases

Want a way to benefit from astrology with no or very little knowledge of astrology? Follow the moon!

When my clients ask me how to get started with astrology, I often suggest starting with studying the moon phases. Why? Because studying the moon is easy, simple and fun…

It takes approximately 28 days for the moon to complete one rotation around the Earth. The Moon cycle can be divided into eight phases, each lasting roughly 3.5 days:

• New Moon
• Crescent
• First Quarter
• Gibbous
• Full Moon
• Disseminating
• Last Quarter
• Balsamic

Family Constellations: The Song of Saturn

©July 2010 by Fabienne Lopez

Family Constellation

I have recently become very interested in family constellations work. Family constellations are an intense group process developed by the German psychologist-philosopher Bert Hellinger that aim to release and resolve profound tensions within and between family members.  Hellinger noticed in his therapeutic work that that one member of a family is unconsciously “following” another member. That is, the fate of one member has become entangled in the fate of another. Often it is the younger ones who unconsciously and out of love, take on the unresolved burdens or fates of those who came before. For example, a child may take on the illness of an aunt who was excluded from the family, or carry the depression and grief of a parent, or become entangled in the fate of a grandparent who suffered a “secret” misfortune and died young. One member of a family is “following” another by sharing their fate — out of a deep and unconscious bond of loyalty and love. But this “blind love,” or unconscious following, solves nothing, only adding complexity and tragedy to the family line. It often leads to repeated problems that seems unsolvable: bad relationships, debt problems, health issues…

That Special Book in My Life

Her  Lover (Belle du Seigneur) from Albert Cohen. And I have read it over and over. I do not care for the plot, although I find it a very interesting, realistic, passionate and sometimes cruel study of love, the consummation of love and everything this words encompasses. But what fascinates me about the book is the intrinsic musicality of the book.There is no other way that I can define it, That book is music to me. I do not see the words, but hear the music that springs from it. Albert Cohen’s writing is so melodious to my ears that I fall under its spell every time I read it. To me, the book is not a book, but a melody, a symphony of rhythm, coloratura and composition that just fascinates me,  I do not know how the musicality of the book translates into English, but in the original French, it just enthralls me and resonates with me at a very deep level to the the point that the story does not matter. This is the only book I had such a reaction too in all my years of book worming.

Choosing an astrologer: it’s not a case of eenie, meenie, minee, moe…..

©July 2010 by Fabienne Lopez

Have you ever reflected back upon your life and wondered, “What’s next for me?” Or, maybe you’re stuck in your current life and are needing clarity and the present. An astrologer will aid you in figuring out the next steps.

Are you curious about having an astrological consultation, and are ready to have your first one? How do you go about finding an astrologer that will give a fulfilling experience?

Finding an astrologer isn’t difficult. But finding a good astrologer is a little more challenging. But if you ask a few questions, then you’ll find the right astrologer for you, and have a fulfilling and enriching experience.

My Favorite Mistake

As a writer in training I am loving these little prompts. Modern Haiku in the age of blogging? I can exercise imagination and humor. Yeah!

Disney’s Annoying Mistakes

The one I will make. Past mistakes are done and over. I might have learned from them or not. But a future mistake is a an opportunity to start anew much like the Chinese character for crisis which encompasses difficulties but also opportunities.