Celtic Astrology is based on your date of birth. Once you find that date you will discover which one is your tree of origin. Once you read about the tree, MAGIC, that is a description that should show how you are.

APPLE TREE: (LOVE)
It is an attractive person, a flirt, of an agreeable aura, sensible, adventurous, lots of charisma, always in love, wants to love and be loved, loyal partner, tender, very generous, with scientific talents, lives day by day, spaced out, with great imagination.

FIR TREE: (MYSTERY)
It is a person of extraordinary good taste, dignity, sophisticated, loves beauty, temperamental, hard headed, has a selfish tendency but takes care of those that are close, modest, ambitious, several talents, industrious, unfulfilled lover, many friends and enemies, very reliable.

Dec 23 - Jan 01: Apple Tree
Jan 02 - Jan 11: Fir Tree
Jan 12 - Jan 12: Elm Tree
Jan 25 - Feb 03: Cypress Tree

ELM TREE: (NOBLE WAY OF THINKING)
Agreeable shape, good taste in dressing, moderate demands, will not forget errors, happy, likes to give orders but will not follow instructions, is a loyal and faithful partner, likes to make decisions for others, noble way of thinking, generous, with a good sense of humor.

CYPRESS TREE: (FIDELITY)
Strong, muscular, adaptable, takes what life has to offer, is a satisfied person, optimist, longs for money and recognition, despises loneliness, is a passionate and unsatisfied partner, loyal, can easily alter, unruly, vain, unselfish.

A close look at an important part of human’s belief system: WEALTH. The Wall Street Journal said; Ebenezer Scrooge is…. “An innovative effort that combines experiential therapy with nuts-and bolts financial planning.”

CD’S FROM SOUNDS TRUE:

An Audio, Video, Music and Publishing Corporation:
Their CD's are now available at the Store. SOUNDS TRUE offers more than 500 titles on spiritual traditions, meditation psychology, creativity, health, healing, self discovering, relationships and more.

At the Shoppe, in a separate listening station you could enjoy TANDAVA a meditation CD mixed and compiled by Pathaan. “In the realm of electronic world beat, Pathaan is arguably the singular choice. Truly the ambassador of international sounds.” In this delicate CD he “teams up with co-producer and internationally renowned yoga teacher Shiva Rea to offer TANDAVA, an energizing mix of sensuous rhythms, meditative riffs, and world music.”

Also at the Store, from the same collection, you can “ flow with the pulse of life” of SHAKTI RHYTHMS compiled by Shiva Rea. “Shakti Rhythms melts the boundaries between ancient and modern music, offering a tantalizing blend of ecstatic chant and evocative rhythms perfect for dance, yoga and creative living.”

"I changed my mind."

These are four of the most powerful words in the English language. They can prevent you from being manipulated into an undesirable outcome and launch you on the road to personal and spiritual growth. Depriving yourself of the freedom to change your mind will lock you into a rigid mindset that can hamper your successes and your development.

Early in life you may have been led to believe it's not good to change your mind. There are numerous words with negative connotations associated with those who do change their minds: fickle, indecisive, hesitant, unsure, wavering, erratic or wishy-washy. You'd much prefer to be known as steadfast, decisive, confident and sure.

Skilled manipulators use this near-universal conditioning against you every day. For example, how many times has a salesman asked you, "Are you in a position to make a decision today?" Once you agree to this proposition, you'll feel pressure to "make a decision today," and buy the product, even if you have reservations. After all, if you don't buy, you'd be indecisive.

But this is not what changing your mind is all about. Changing your mind means that after thinking about the subject or after gathering more complete information, you came to a different conclusion - a better and more informed decision. This is not being indecisive. It's being logical, prudent and wise.

What would happen if you weren't allowed to change your mind? You'd be forced to believe the sun revolves around the earth. Your evolution on every level depends on your ability to assimilate new information and "change your mind" as to what it means and how it applies.

Psychologists call the unease you feel when you hold two conflicting opinions cognitive dissonance. The theory is that you will be unwilling to simultaneously hold two apparently contradictory beliefs in your mind and will attempt to modify one or the other to minimize the dissonance or conflict.

If you told the salesman that "you would be in a position to make a decision today," and yet, you feel you need more time to gather additional information and think it through, you are experiencing dissonance. The skilled salesman will use your cognitive dissonance to push you to a buying decision today! If he lets you think it over, you may not make the purchase or may buy from someone else. Ever buy a new car after talking to only one dealer?

Imagine what would happen with instances of more deep-seated beliefs. You think so-and-so is the best candidate, the finest restaurant or the fastest car. To complicate matters, also imagine that you are on record as publicly stating that so-and-so is the best candidate, the finest restaurant or the fastest car. You have invested your "credibility" in this belief. What happens when new evidence comes along that contradicts this deep-seated belief? You immediately discount it.

Not only do you have the dissonance associated with trying to hold two contradictory beliefs in your mind simultaneously, but, even worse, if you accept the new idea, that might mean the first one was WRONG and you've lost your invested credibility!

How would most people handle the situation? Most people don't like being wrong, so they would either ignore the new idea or, even worse, come up with all sorts of counter arguments as to why it's wrong. In extreme cases, they may outright lie to others and to themselves, just to avoid the cognitive dissonance. To an independent observer, this appears totally irrational. To a student of human behavior, it is understandable.

As mystics, we're after the truth. So if it turns out the second idea is more accurate, serves us better, or is otherwise superior to the first, we owe it to ourselves and to others to accept it, at least until a better idea comes along. We may be forced to utter three words that are even more powerful than "I changed my mind": "I was wrong."

Being able to admit a mistake is a sign of humility, which is a prized mystic virtue. It does not mean you're a doormat or that you are subservient to somebody else. Changing your mind after gathering more complete information and thoroughly thinking things through is a sign of being logical, thorough, thoughtful and wise. Your prime allegiance is to the truth, regardless of where it originates.

There is tremendous freedom in uttering these powerful words. Your cognitive dissonance vanishes. You don't have to expend any energy defending the idea of "being right." You are free to pursue the truth without baggage.

Once you get into the habit of allowing yourself to say "I changed my mind" and "I was wrong," you will experience newfound freedom. You will have taken 7 powerful steps towards the mystic virtue of wisdom. You will have also added the foundation of another mystic virtue: detachment. We will discuss more mystic virtues in future newsletters.

Best wishes,
Ed