GLOBAL GATHERINGS by Lynn Koiner
INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF CHEMISTRY – COFFEE ASTROLOGICALLY VIEWED
The International Year of Chemistry was observed in Vienna, Austria, with a discussion of coffee by Veronika Somoza, an American who is a professor at the University of Vienna.
In America, coffee always made me very ill, usually because it was served with milk. It was during my 2nd visit to Europe, in the town of Heidelberg, Germany, that I had my first cup of Bavarian coffee – without milk and only a little artificial sweetener. It was wonderful; I was hooked! Since that time, I only drink Bavarian coffee, specifically Dallmayr that can be purchased in the U.S.
As I listened to the lecture on coffee, I thought about the astrological signatures for coffee and, with my many years of studying astrology, I immediately knew the significators: Virgo – Uranus – and the Moon. There may also be a connection with the “dwarf planet,” Ceres. I normally associate Ceres with food intolerances, especially to grains and dairy, but there is definitely a connection with food as a form of self-nurturing.
Let me explain my reasoning for these rulerships: Many years ago I observed that caffeine was the drug of choice for Virgo. Virgo is one of the “food addiction” signs (with Cancer) and coffee is both a tasty and a stimulating beverage. Keep in mind as you read this article that I have a Sun and Ascendant in Virgo with Venus in Cancer and I have always battled food addictions.
Virgo has an affinity with foods that have some health benefit. Over 1,000 compounds make up coffee’s complex phyto-chemistry. Their documented protection against diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, and a host of other chronic diseases may be due to an intricate web of chemically induced actions along various biological pathways – sounds like a health food to me!
The caffeine in coffee is a stimulant to the central nervous system so that the next rulership would be Uranus. Consumers feel that coffee gives them energy but it is not a Mars-type energy – it is mental energy due to the stimulated nervous system.
In my medical research, I have observed that a transit from Uranus stimulates us into taking action and making changes in our lives because it creates a low level inflammation within the body. This harmless, low-level inflammation or electrical impulse impacts the nervous system and this agitates us into making significant changes in our lives.
The Moon has a relationship with food, food addictions and food intolerances. It is also rules habitual behavior, such as one’s morning coffee. The Moon is associated with food as a form of nurturing and sustenance. Hard aspects to the Moon indicate food intolerances that develop in direct connection with the relationship to the mother.
When I looked at the transits occurring at the time when I was traveling in Europe and cultivated an addiction to coffee, Uranus in Capricorn in my 5th House was sextiling Ceres in Scorpio in my 3rd House. I have found Ceres to be associated with the nurturing and mothering that we did or did not receive in our childhood. It is definitely connected to food issues in the life. Under favorable aspects, we find new ways to nurture ourselves – even if it is just a cup of coffee.
In Europe, and wisely so, coffee is always served with a glass of water to neutralize the acidity and to prevent the absorption of calcium from the body! In Austria, it is considered rude not to include water when the coffee is served.
Because coffee depletes folic acid in the body, it is essential to replace this, especially as an under-the-tongue liquid supplement, after drinking coffee. Folic acid prevents inflammations and inflammations detected by the C-Reactive Protein test can lead to Alzheimer’s Disease, heart attacks and strokes.
In Professor Somoza’s lecture, she gave a list of the biggest coffee consumers, specifically in Europe, and given per person in one year:
Finland – 12 kgs; Norway – 9 kgs; United States 4 kgs; Poland only 1.5 kgs (to convert kgs to lbs, multiply by 2.2; this makes the U.S. consumption to be almost 9 pounds person).
She added that Americans are known to prefer a very bitter coffee. Even in Europe, Starbucks serves the bitter, overly roasted coffee blends. I was only able to tolerate Starbucks coffee when they began producing their BLONDE variety which is less bitter. Yet, I hear people commenting that it has no taste or flavor, simply because it is not bitter. In Europe, the Italian brand, Illy, is bitter, as well as the French roast but none are as bitter as those found at Starbucks.
Green coffee beans are not bitter, the darker the roast the more bitter and light roast is mild. Green coffee extract is sold in health food stores as a powerful anti-oxidant and metabolism stimulant. Medically, dark roast coffee is more effective than light roast coffee in reducing body weight and in restoring red blood cell vitamin E and glutathione concentrations in healthy volunteers.
So, while your mother may have been wanting in her nurturing skills, take heart that you can relax with a hot cup of coffee to nurture both your psyche and your body. Coffee is good for you!