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March 10 to 17, 2011
Visible Planets: Morning: Venus and Saturn  Evening: Mercury and Jupiter

Shining Seas, Surrender and Synthesis

Sparkling sea Red sunrise I’m back home in Colorado and my winter in Baja is now a memory. I see the shining seas and swaying palms, the Mexican rancho in the arroyo and my friend riding her horse in the soft sand along the beach. I can hear the breaking waves as I drift in and out of sleep, the stars are twinkling in the moonlight and a gentle breeze moves the shadows in ghostly rhythm with the night. But my body is here, not there.

MU Mtn Today, I feel grateful and blessed, a creature on this planet Earth, living and breathing, laughing and loving, crying with the pain of others and coping with my own. Tears are signs that I’m alive, that life has touched me, that I am moved by the world’s passions, obsessions and compulsions, that I can feel the ride and embrace the shifting tides of my time here, my time here on this magical planet Earth. The ups and downs, the starts and stops, the endings and beginnings - it’s all part of the journey, the Great Mystery of life and death. Whether I’m south of the border or high on a snowy mountain peak, I can feel the pulsating heart of the Mother Earth and her breath in the wind and air. I drink her water and feed upon her fruit. I can feel the love emanating from her soul and, to all this, I surrender.

10 March, 2011 /

[click "Play" to Dr. Hokemeyer's conversation with Susan]

 

 

Jacket Close #1-1 Thankfully, none of Telluride Inside... and Out's relationships with the various players in the region's robust cultural economy are co-dependent. They are happy and mutually satisfying.

According to part-timeTelluride local Dr. Paul Hokemeyer, the source of TIO's Shrink Rap, co-dependency is an emotional and behavioral condition that occurs when people form and maintain one-sided, emotionally and/or physically abusive relationships. Co-dependency is a construct that focuses on a person’s reliance on something outside himself to regulate how he feels on the inside.

 

 

10 March, 2011 /

March 3 to 10, 2011
Visible Planets: Morning: Venus and Saturn  Evening: Jupiter

Change and No Change: Como es la Vida!

Raleys I’ve been in Mexico now for over three months - the biggest chunk of winter – and I’ll soon be heading home. It’s funny to be back in a place I first came to over thirty years ago on my honeymoon, and returned to ten years later to live in winter for another ten. I’ve witnessed Cabo San Lucas change from a sleepy fishing village with a tuna cannery and a couple of restaurants, a small marina, a few Mexican hotels and a reputation for world class sport fishing turn into a megalopolis of condos, tourist shops, golf courses, resort hotels, gourmet restaurants, world class clubs, hot spots and multi-million dollar homes. Over on the Pacific side, the laid back art and agricultural community of Todos Santos is thriving with new life, gringos and Mexicanos interweave and intertwine like the cotton threads of a hammock. Art galleries and shows, Buddhist sanghas and organic produce abound; the economy is strong and growing. It’s a long shot from the days when roosters roamed the ladrilla floors of the Hotel California and the pounding surf was void of surfers as far as the eye could see.

03 March, 2011 /

February 24 to March 3, 2011
Visible Planets: Morning: Venus and Saturn  Evening: Jupiter

Happy 60th Birthday and the Gifts of Grace

RZBdayMoon My husband, Richard, celebrated his 60th year on planet Earth last Feb. 17th under a full Moon, in front of a raging bonfire on the beach at Boca del Solado, Baja California Sur, Mexico. It was an evening made in heaven and blessed by the gods, the weather superb and the company divine. Two of his three brothers and their women made the trek; we had a celebrity guest of honor and his wife, along with some new gringo friends and four soldiers from the Mexican Army.

I had wondered for months how this milestone party would come off. Inviting friends and family to the tip of the Baja Peninsula to celebrate a birthday – 60 or otherwise – is something that doesn’t result in a lot of takers. Early on it looked like we might have a rather large group, but in the end, the number came to ten – not including the Mexican army, of course!  And so it was, intimate, and so, so sweet!

24 February, 2011 /

February 17 to 24, 2011
Visible Planets: Morning: Venus  Evening: Jupiter

Radical Breakthroughs and Revolutionary Awakenings

MermaidStones A rather unusual planetary gathering takes place this week in the late degrees of air Aquarius. The early hours of February 18th bring us the fruition of the February 2nd Candelmas/Groundhog Day/Chinese Lunar Year New Moon at 29º Leo/Aquarius. Then, during the afternoon and early evening of February 20th, Mercury, Mars and Neptune conjoin at 28º Aquarius, delivering an extra-powerful cosmic punch of the characteristically unpredictable and enigmatic Aquarian energy that often manifests in a snap-crackle-pop kind of way, resulting in radical breakthroughs and revolutionary awakenings. You may suddenly perceive the world differently, as if you are looking for the first time through a multi-dimensional lens of colliding colors and depths, allowing you to really see. Other people and relationships – social and intellectual connections – play starring roles in the pantheon of energy, experience and information that presents itself this week. We are being asked to combine intuition and compassion with intelligence and emotional detachment when it comes to anything and everything involving ego, self will and self-importance – yours or anyone else’s. This is a highly evolved and difficult to negotiate assignment that must be taken with an open mind, a courageous heart and a healthy dose of humility. Otherwise, we may find ourselves dazed, confused, hurt and humiliated, raging at the wind or angry at the world.

18 February, 2011 /

February 10 to 17, 2011
Visible Planets: Morning: Mercury, Venus and Saturn  Evening: Jupiter

Aquarian Self-Awareness and Self-Knowledge

Aquarius As we move through the last week of Aquarius and venture ever closer to spring, solar rays become more direct and days grow longer.  We have passed the February mid-winter cross-quarter mark and drift toward Pisces, the final zodiac month of the natural tropical year. Seeds of hope and inspiration float upon proverbial horizons, we are being awakened to metaphorical ends and new beginnings. It’s time to look up and all around us, check in with what’s going on inside and outside, step out of the past, embrace the present and center ourselves in self-awareness.

The World Self-awareness gives birth to self-knowledge and self-knowledge awakens our personal power, an unremitting ally in the spiritual warrior’s journey on the path of heart and soul. And the fixed-air sign of Aquarius is all about knowledge, spirit and heart. It’s the archetype of the individual in the collective, the unique contribution that each one of us gives to the whole - the unusual idea, the special gift, the act of kindness or the endearing art of friendship. Loyalty, camaraderie and fellowship are Aquarian ideals; revolution, rebellion and invention are its means. In this wild and wacky world, with Uranian change as an ever-constant companion, let us be blessed with the enlightened detachment and inspirational heart of the Waterbearer. Surround yourself with people, places and things that inspire and uplift your spirit and strengthen your resolve to make yourself and this Earth a happier, healthier place in which to live and grow. May peace, love and joy be our friends and companions, the sun, moon and planets our guides and the ever-expanding possibilities of the ever-expanding universe be the numinous amniotic waters in which we birth our dreams.

11 February, 2011 /

Jacket Close #1-1 Valentine’s Day is drawing near. If we’re in a romantic relationship, the thought of the day is cause for happiness.  If we are solo, however, the approaching holiday can make us feel lonely and sad. The truth of the matter is this: when we believe happiness is attached to something or someone outside ourselves, we are setting ourselves up for a big downer. This year, avoid the set-up. Make love to yourself.

As a psychotherapist who helps free people from unhealthy relationships, substances, and behaviors, I see how frequently  emotional and physical pain are caused by an attachment to any number of delusions. We think of a shot of vodka or piece of chocolate cake, for example, as sources of comfort. And while alcohol and sugar can make us feel great in the moment, the feeling is fleeting: in the long run, substances like these diminish our capacity to lovingly connect to our minds and bodies. They distract from a meaningful spiritual existence.

09 February, 2011 /

February 3 to 10, 2011
Visible Planets: Morning: Mercury, Venus and Saturn  Evening: Jupiter

Off Road Races and Chinese New Year of the Rabbit

BajaRed Last week I watched a preliminary running of the Baja 1000 – a famous off road race that takes place each year in the rugged deserts of Baja California, Mexico. We had motorcycles, ATVs, trucks and dune buggies cruising past our casa at breakneck speeds in the attempt to garner points to qualify for the ultimate day of racing competition. Mexican families and curious gringos lined the bumpy, washboard dirt road, giving drivers thumbs-ups, sharing laughter and making big eyes when a vehicle slid sideways or caught big air. From the pila up on the hill, we could see a wide expanse of the course winding its way along the coast, over hills and down arroyos, dirt rising like plumes of smoke in the distance as the racers traveled closer. Standing on the road, dust flew and metal rattled, tires gripped and drivers bounced, waving to the crowd as they passed by. The day was hot and sunny, the entertainment superbly macho.

05 February, 2011 /
[click "Play" to hear Susan's conversation with Dr. Paul Hokemeyer]

 

Jacket Close #1-1 Telluride Inside... and Out is pleased to announce the launch of a bi-monthly column focusing on relationships. "Shrink Rap" features part-time Telluride local Dr. Paul Hokemeyer, JD, PhD.

Dr. Hokemeyer is a nationally recognized expert on Eastern philosophies, relationships, and emotional healing. A Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, he holds a PhD in psychology, as well as a doctorate in the law. A part-time Telluride resident, Dr. Hokemeyer is based in the New York City office of the Caron Treatment Centers. He is also a weekly contributor to "The Dr. Oz Show," CNN’s "Headline News," and other media outlets, including "Good Morning America," "truTV," and "Oprah Radio."

04 February, 2011 /

January 27 to February 3, 2011
Visible Planets: Morning: Mercury, Venus and Saturn  Evening: Jupiter

The Tropical vs. the Sideral Zodiac

Sun&planets Last week I addressed the media whoopla and collective attention concerning what is generally known as one’s “sun sign” – the astrological identity we are given according to our day and time of birth.  Word on the street has it that due to some recent scientific discoveries, we have to “change” our sun sign. If you’re wondering about this, check out my column last week on either my website @ www.alacazem.com or the astrology page @ www.tellurideinside.com. You’ll find a brief explanation of the difference between the astrological Tropical Zodiac used in the Western world and the fixed star Sidereal Zodiac, used in Vedic astrology, which is practiced in India and much of the Far East. But, this week I’d like to address something I’ve also been asked about a lot lately - a mysterious 13th “sign” - a “new” constellation that “really screws everything up” and “changes the zodiac” even more, causing one’s astrological sign to be even further off kilter and, according to the good ol’ word-on-the-street, even more irrelevant.

27 January, 2011 /