Taurus 2014
As a self-confessed foodie, I am currently watching the BBC series ‘Great British Menu’. It is a competition for top chefs to win a place to cook their dish at a great banquet for war veterans in St Paul’s Cathedral. Being in honour of the 70th anniversary of D-Day, the dishes must reflect war themes. So far we have had everything from Winston Churchill desserts in the form of cigars…
photo from BBC on greatbritishchefs.com
…to ration boxes, smoke filled containers with blitz food, things in cans, chocolate medals for pigeon bravery (yes that did happen!) and Normandy sand.
However the theme that keeps coming up in many of the chefs’ dishes is ‘Dig for Victory’. This was a slogan used during WWII to encourage people to grow vegetables. So I guess I am a bit late with my roof garden!
Dig For Victory Grow You Own Vegetables – Imperial War Museum
The chefs are incredibly creative with this difficult brief. How do you create a fabulous dish, as well as honour a time when food was rationed and difficult to get? They have done extensive research and some of the stories are really interesting. Vegetables were often used for desserts as sugar was in short supply, so carrots, parsnips and other sweet(ish) vegetables were used in cakes and puddings. My favourite ‘Dig for Victory’ dish so far was a replica of an allotment garden…
photo from BBC on greatbritishchefs.com
…a wonderful dish made from a combination of variously prepared vegetables, chicken pate paths, yogurt and edible soil! Some of the plates are art pieces in their own right!
So all this got me thinking about digging for something practical and useful – gold you might say. How do we do that for ourselves and for our companies? I think it is about getting on with it and using what you have to hand, and planting seeds that will become ‘products’ of the future. When times are tough, which they are now for many people, how do we make the most of the resources we have? And do we even know what these resources are?
Photo from almostperfectdog.com
Well, you guessed it, we can dig for clues in a horoscope! I have written several times about Venus and her relationship to money, values, talents and what you love. Now I want to focus on the process of discovering resources and using what you have to make a ‘product’. Companies and people all have Taurus somewhere in their horoscope as well as Venus, so we can all produce something of value.
Let’s take an example of how I would help ‘dig’. I see astrology as a tool for inspiration. It offers input for brainstorming with my clients, in this case to look for resources they might have. Sometimes, by spending more time on a particular theme, (and the astrology is sometimes really basic), we come across good ideas for ‘growing fruit’.
Since we are talking chefs, let’s take Jamie Oliver, as he is internationally known. If he were a client, I would of course discuss this with him, but we can still use him as an example. He does at least have a birth date online. I don’t know what it is about chefs, but they all seem to be very cagey about giving birthday details! Even though astrologers like to have birth times as well as a date and place, we can still look at what his resources might be without having an exact time of birth.
Jamie and Jules with their children. A Cancer who clearly loves families – fitting for this sign.
In Jamie’s case, Venus is in the sign of Cancer, a good start for a chef. Cancer is the sign of nutrition, children and mothers. His resources could include anything Cancerian, such as his family, or any groups he might be part of. In his first books he always mentioned his wife – I wonder how much work she did! I suspect mothers are a good group for him to work with. He is passionate about getting good and healthy food into schools and he is in the news as I write (Food Revolution Day!), campaigning for schools to teach cooking. He is using communities to get his message across. He wants to protect kids from unhealthy food. People who are involved in protection (Cancer) are good resources for him to mobilise as well. Jamie’s ‘resources’ are traditional, nostalgic, home-cookable recipes. All Cancerian qualities. He also helps nurture staff at his own restaurants giving many young people chances they would never otherwise have.
We can extend our brain-storming to include the planets that interact with Venus. In his case we would discuss:
Ceres – can pure, natural ingredients and sustainability experts be resources? He is definitely a fan of pure, simple products.
Jupiter – one of the areas Jamie works in is obesity, so anything that relates to this topic will earn him money. The global market is also a winner.
Saturn – Jamie is targeting governments and traditional institutions. They can be put to work for him as a resource as well! Saturn also means that teaching can be a source of revenue for Jamie. His expertise is a resource.
Jamie’s promotional poster
Of course more ideas would be generated if I could have a discussion with Jamie himself. (I’m available Jamie!) However this is still a good example of how a horoscope can act as a source of inspiration for finding your (or your company’s) hidden resources, and developing those you are already aware of. We need to make the most of what we’ve got in these cosmically interesting times!
Faye Blake-Cossar
Interesting Websites of the Month
A wonderful film – definitely food for thought. What is your relationship to money?
From Nic Askew – For the love of money.
An article about Gregory Kloehn, a resourceful artist who makes homes for the homeless out of dumped trash.
For Astrologers
Birth data: James Trevor Oliver
27 May 1975, Clavering, Essex, England, United Kingdom.
Quote of the Month
“Realize what you really want. It stops you from chasing butterflies and puts you to work digging gold.”
William Moulton Marston, psychologist, inventor and comic book writer who created Wonder Woman.
Related posts:
Food, peace, war, daughters and sons
Power is the Drug
Thinking about thinking
Greens, genes and generations
The Moral of the Sydney Siege
It’s about time – for relationships
The Bossy Universe
Compromise – Libra at its best
Happy Birthday Tony Blair and Goodbye!
I know best and placebos
Women to the Rescue – Ceres to the fore
Giving the Texas shootings a voice