The year 2012 has a lot of connotations associated with it—fear based for some, while others see it as an opportunity for a spiritual evolutionary shift.
Nicole Vanderhoff, of Triniti Healing, has been an inspiring facilitator for the Portland community, believing that 2012 and beyond promises accelerated positive growth opportunities, especially for those who have been cultivating a greater connected relationship to their Body-Mind-Spirit. The changes happening just within our solar system are creating shifting on Earth, giving us the opportunity to create shifts within ourselves and our society.
The intention behind the various workshops and Hypno-Chakra Balancing meditations Vanderhoff facilitates with her 9 singing quartz crystal bowls is to achieve that by strengthening a person’s connection to one’s Divinity, embodying a higher vibration of Love and Light to shift one’s perspective of his or her self and life to that of their Higher Self.
By seeing themselves and the world around them through the eyes and mind of their Higher Self, people begin acting from a greater place of Divine Love rather than reacting from egoistic perspectives. That one shift in perspective can bring about a huge shift within our lives, allowing for things to flow much more positively and smoothly than ever before, as well as opening doors that allow our potential to blossom.
In 2013, Vanderhoff aims to continue to play a greater active role in assisting those ready to move forward and blossom into their potential through the various workshops and meditations she facilitates.

For more information, visit trinitihealing.com.

On December 7 from 5 to 9 p.m., Motionlab PDX, located at 3829 NE Tillamook Street in Portland, will have an open studio party to celebrate their first year and to thank all their supporters.
Stop by and join the celebration—enjoy some light hors d’oeurves, talk with the instructors, see a demo and try the GYROTONIC® equipment, with the guidance of a teacher. Enjoy guest DJ Noise, who will be spinning vinyl.
Among the many exclusive discounts and raffles offered during the party will be a $200 gift card to Lululemon Athletica, a GYROTONIC® intro-pack of three 55-minute sessions and 50 percent off selected packages. While there, get a friend or loved one three GYROTONIC® sessions for only $45 each.

For more information on Motionlab or the celebration, visit MotionlabPdx.com.

Green Pet Gifts, an online store based in Portland, launched a new line of eco-friendly and organic holiday pet lover gift baskets. The best part is they’re gifts that keep on giving. The business specializes in locally made products and gourmet treats for both pets and their owners—good for people, pets and the planet.
Looking for a unique gift for a pet-loving friend? Check out the “Warm & Cuddly” basket, filled with a delightful mix of local and sustainable coffee, tea and chocolates for the owner and organic carob and mint dog treats and “pupcakes” for their furry companion. The “Ruff Ruff Rudolph” basket makes for a great dog gift; with an organic stuffed moose toy, winter and reindeer-themed treats and a dog chew antler collected from the Oregon forest floor, Fido will be pleased to partake in the holiday festivities.
Green Pet Gifts celebrates the spirit of giving in other ways, too; 10 percent of all proceeds are donated to animal rescue organizations year-round. Green Pet Gift Baskets can be found at local non-profit animal rescues and pet stores throughout the month of December. The business has partnered with Oregon Dog Rescue, in Tualatin, and also Meat for Cats and Dogs, in Portland, to raise money for local animals in need with in-store raffles. Stop by, make a small donation and be entered to win.

Visit greenpetgifts.com for more information. Natural Awakenings readers may enjoy a 10 percent discount on their purchases throughout the month of December with coupon code NA2012. Happy Holidays!

PetPals PDX owner, Rasheno Nejad, believes in the motto, “Do unto others as you would like done unto you” whether she is taking care of someone’s home or their pets while they are away.
A pet’s life is disrupted when their caretaker is away, and boarding them in a different environment can make matters even worse for the pet and more stressful for the caretaker. Leaving pets in their own environment, safe from other pets’ diseases and illnesses and in the care of PetPals can provide that sense of knowing someone is providing loving care to the pets left behind. By working around the pet’s daily schedule, maintaining their normal diet and exercise routine, giving medication if needed, grooming and more attention than would happen in a kennel, PetPals can bring the caretaker peace of mind while away from home.
In addition, PetPals will also take care of the home, assuring that plants get watered, trash gets to the curb and mail is collected. Their coverage includes sections of the southwest, northwest and southeast Portland metro area.
PetPals is offering special holiday discounts for first-time customers. Discounts will vary according to services requested. Booking and final confirmation in advance is highly recommended, especially during the busy holiday season.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, phone 503-915-2025 or email PetPals.email@gmail.com. See http://www.housecarers.com/housesitter-profile.cfm?mem=2145639780 for Nejad’s profile or visit Facebook page PetPals PDX-Pet sitting in your own home.

 December actually means “tenth month” but Roman King Pompilius added January and February, moving the original beginning of the year from March. Now December symbolizes many things—cold weather, hot chocolate, holiday time with friends and family, and in our case, an incredible month of music.

Trixie Whitley
She wowed audiences when she toured with former band Black Dub (Daniel Lanois’ super group with drummer Brian Blade and bassist Daryl Johnson). Now touring solo, Belgium-born Trixie Whitley is wowing audiences on her own. Her debut album, Fourth Corner will be out January 29, 2013, so this is an awesome opportunity to catch this sultry songstress before she takes the world by storm.

Sat., Dec. 8, Doug Fir Lounge, 830 E Burnside St., Portland, 9pm

Meshell Ndegeocello
Prolific and passionate songwriter Meshell Ndegeocello continues to prove that she is a musical force to be reckoned with. Pour Une Ame Souvraine (For a Sovereign Soul) pays tribute to the jazz legend Nina Simone and is Ndegeocello’s 10th record. Critics have called the album both a triumph and a drag but one thing is for sure, Ndegeocello continues to make music on her own terms. Speaking of own terms, did you know that Ndegeocello was the first woman to be featured on the cover of Bass Player magazine? With Luz Mendoza (of Y La Bamba) opening, this is your chance to witness greatness in an intimate setting.

Wed., Dec. 12, Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan, Portland, 8:30pm

KINK Jingle Bell Jam
What do you get when you combine the indie rock vibe of Blind Pilot with the soulful grooves of Allen Stone along with the retro rhythm and blues of JD McPherson? You get KINK FM’s annual Jingle Bell Jam, an evening of awesome music, all benefitting the Portland Police Bureau’s Sunshine Division.

Sun., Dec 16, , Roseland Theater, 8 NW 6th Ave., Portland, 7pm

Storm Large
What better way to ring the New Year in than with local rock icon Storm Large. She’s been on the scene for fifteen years and received national notoriety as a finalist for the CBS show Rock Star: Supernova. She continued to rack up the accolades with her glowing stage performance in Cabaret as well as her own musical memoir Crazy Enough. Come see why she is Portland’s rock darling and bring in 2013 like a Storm.

Mon. Dec. 31, Aladdin Theater, 3016 SE Milwaukie Ave., Portland , 10pm

Important transformational degrees of 2012 are revisited this month by the transiting planets, reverberating reminders of personal and collective need for change. We are strongly guided to focus our eyes on the road ahead, embrace the implementation of “new think” and simultaneously, release patternings and structures of the past.
Like the Elisabeth Kübler-Ross model of emotional stages experienced in the face of impending death, we progressively move through the month with hypothetical psychosomatic engagement of these five stages: denial; anger; bargaining; depression; and, acceptance. By month’s end, we should be prepared to ring in a very different 2013.

Mantras and musings for the December movements:

Aries (Mar 21-Apr 19): Rock bottom is good solid ground, and a dead end street is just a place to turn around. ~ Buddy Buie and J.R. Cobb
Taurus (Apr 20-May 20): A bend in the road is not the end of the road… unless you fail to make the turn. ~ Unknown
Gemini (May 21-Jun 20): I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, but through it all I still know quite certainly that just to be alive is a grand thing. ~ Agatha Christie
Cancer (Jun 21-Jul 22): The journey between what you once were and who you are now becoming is where the dance of life really takes place. ~ Barbara DeAngelis
Leo (Jul 23-Aug 22): Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents, which, in prosperous circumstances, would have lain dormant. ~ Horace
Virgo (Aug 23-Sep 22): I have woven a parachute out of everything broken. ~ William Stafford
Libra (Sep 23-Oct 22): When it is dark enough, you can see the stars. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Scorpio (Oct 23-Nov 21): The difficulties of life are intended to make us better, not bitter. ~ Unknown
Sagittarius (Nov 22-Dec 21): The robbed that smiles, steals something from the thief. ~William Shakespeare
Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan 19): It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves. ~ Edmund Hillary
Aquarius (Jan 20-Feb 18): Some luck lies in not getting what you thought you wanted but getting what you have, which once you have got it you may be smart enough to see is what you would have wanted had you known. ~ Garrison Keillor
Pisces (Feb 19-Mar 20): When the Japanese mend broken objects, they aggrandize the damage by filling the cracks with gold.  They believe that when something’s suffered damage and has a history it becomes more beautiful. ~ Barbara Bloom

Liz Howell is available for personal astrological consultations and can be reached at Liz@CelestialLivingArts.com.

CelestialLivingArts.com