.Gifts for the Signs—Practical, Useful, Small & Sustainable

Christmas day is different this year. Let’s be different, too, in the giving of gifts this year. Let’s be creative, thinking small (under $5), economical, sustainable, long term, renewable, ecological, plantable (seeds), storable, alchemical, astrological, and the giving of tithes. Instead of buying gifts, consider handmade items that are baked, sewn, knitted, planted, sprouted, canned, tinctured, bottled and/or dried. Instead of store-bought gift bags and wrapping papers, let’s consider alternative and creative ways to wrap gifts (wrapped in towels or prayer cloths, placed in cups, bowls, flasks, bottles, ampoules, basins, planters, baskets, hampers, etc.).

In our times of economic reorientation, it’s essential and wise to think practical, useful, beneficial, functional and local—keeping money circulating within our local towns and villages. Gift certificates from local businesses keep money within the community.

Another idea—no gifts this year. Giving only to those in need (homeless, refugees, especially children). Giving through the Heifer project where we can give bees and ducks, cows, sheep and goats (real things) that build a sustainable way of living for a community. Giving in this way creates the seeds of the new Sharing Economy. When we give appropriately, what we need magically appears, “So we can give and give again.” Then we experience the true (hidden) miracle of this holy season. Happy “giving,” everyone. Creating Peace on Earth, Goodwill to everyone.

Should we be giving gifts to each other, the gift suggestions below provide an atmosphere and architecture of how to think astrologically. Recognizing the qualities of each sign (and persons), we better understand their essential needs and thus what to offer them. And so, give to …

ARIES: Things daring, innovative and new; intelligent and quick, impatient and bright red; sporty and casual; big, energetic, bold yet fleeting. See that it has gears, goes Vrooom! shielding them from anything deep or involving them in long-term follow-up. Eventually offer several dictionaries and a thesaurus. Kites and all types of hats, old and new. Running shoes.

TAURUS: Things easy and uncomplicated; sensual yet practical, simple and effortless; comfortable and calm; the very best quality, something planned, cozy, able to be stored for generations to come; something from a financial institution; and most of all, things they can’t share. Things made of fine wool. Cashmere scarves, cashmere anything, several miniature cows and bars of gold.

GEMINI: Anything to help them think and use their hands at the same time; intelligent things like puzzles; something that comes in the mail monthly or weekly (The Week magazine, The New Yorker, Llewellyn’s Astrological Guide); things quick, easy to wash and tend to; a casual party, party sparklers, stars for their bedroom, butterfly-attracting plants. People magazine.

CANCER: Anything traditional and that nurtures, which means nostalgic; used copper cooking pots and barbecue tools, heirloom seeds, antiques, what’s cozy and homey, comfort foods, small family gatherings, scrapbooks, picture frames, photo albums, baskets, boxes, bins, vases, holders, cases, small tubs and even a vat. Handmade non-lye soaps and warm sweaters. Holy oils.

LEO: Anything that lets them win, be first, ahead of everyone else and be the leader. Things providing them with attention, recognition and applause; things extravagant and large; jewelry, gold, games, mirrors, and whatever is heart shaped. A photo session. A gift in their name to the Heifer Project sending bees, ducks, geese, cows or goats to families in need in developing countries. A paint box.

VIRGO: Anything assisting in their quest for perfection, knowledge, serving and tending to; pets, books, health foods, ears of corn, sheaves of wheat, pomegranates; things that organize, structure, order, and bring forth detail; white countertops, gardens of flowers, natural cleaning products; anything biodynamic, and multiple and various ways they can serve. And words of gratitude.

LIBRA: Whatever offers them harmony, equality and balance; things artistic, poised and beautiful; sets of scales, weights and measures, jewelry, flowers; things well designed, tickets to orchestras, plays, ballets and the theater; an outdoor fire pit, a planned party with friends, mirrors, paintings, money, and a course in practical economics for world good. European chocolates.

SCORPIO: Designer sunglasses, big and black; things mysterious, private, under the surface, intense and powerful; clothes in dark shades with a gold something tucked inside; mystery novels, psychological novels, classes in astrology and Ancient Wisdom; luxurious bedding, screens, curtains, veils, shrouds, masks, cloaks and drapes. A cave with deep paramagnetic waters and secrets to discover. Anything that locks.

SAGITTARIUS: A pilgrimage over hill and dale that’s adventurous, risky, exciting and philosophical; things swift, moving, or looking like a horse; a real horse or pony (for a Sag child); bow and arrows, a new town to move to, trip to an artistic desert town; music, musical instruments, publishing their writings; loungewear; a photo of the Galactic Center (Sag); and the plant Sagittaria.

CAPRICORN: The Capricorn icons—a ladder and sturdy mountain boots; anything from a mountain store; hiking and camping equipment; stories of treks to the top of Mt. Everest; images of unicorns and the rising Sun; an Ashram; yoga classes; bone-building vitamins; a course in biodynamics, requesting them to design, build and craft something beautifully useful. A craft set and anything successfully indulgent.

AQUARIUS: Greenhouses in an intentional community with tilapia ponds in a biosphere and bio-shelter on a farm with green-roofed straw bale houses in the country away from large towns, with friends and loved ones. If impossible, then books about each of these along with a jar of real tupelo honey. Things gadgety, technological, electrical or giving to a good cause toward assuaging the suffering of “thirsty humanity.”

PISCES: Cashmere socks, supple boots, comforting shoes; plush slippers, a warm and private saline pool; visits to a spa; health club membership; monastery retreat, a course in permaculture; a gardener, wooden shelves and bureaus, incense, lavender oil, fish in a fishbowl, Persian rug, children’s books, rosary, prayer book, a dome cottage, being tended to and understood. A home.