Hi and Welcome to SGC... :)
Our Tarot Card readings are done by Greta McKenzie, who, while having many years of readings under her belt, still considers herself a student of the "craft".
Greta is also the author of our Astrology Charts, Astro Readings and personal horoscopes... :)
Our love of astrology and the Tarot have been with us for many years, and Greta continues to learn and be excited with each new chart, horoscope or astro reading that she does.
SGC ='s Serenity's Gift Cove,...
Serenity was originally our physical store front, which was located in Blair Park Plaza, in Whitby, Ontario.
SGC is now on online business only, however we do have limited product for sale and are happy to arrange for pick up. Please Email Us For Details... astrostar61@hotmail.com
Thank you for stopping by... 😉😊😎
The SGC Team
On Wednesday, August 5th, at 1:30 p.m. the Whitby Central Library is pleased to work with Toronto-based StoryMobs to launch the Library’s first StoryMob! StoryMobs is a literary phenomenon where great children’s books meet flash mobs.
Through the use of costumes and props, music, simple choreography and reading out loud, children and their families can engage with books in a new and exciting way.
The chosen book for this exciting StoryMob is Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak.You can sign up for reader parts and to participate by visiting the Central Library’s Main Floor Information Desk in the Children’s Department.
In person registration is required at the Main Floor Information Desk.
Culture in the Square
Tuesday nights are culture nights in Celebration Square at the Central Library. The Town of Whitby brings you a variety of musical, theatrical and artistic events to entertain and engage you all summer long. Be a part of it!
Don’t miss these fantastic events and performances in August:
All events start at 7:00 pm. Thanks to Celebration Square 2015 sponsor, Menzies Chrysler.
Parapan Am Games Come to Whitby
Team Canada certainly “owned the podium” in the 2015 Pan Am Games, and across the country people are looking to our ParaPan Am athletes to continue the trend. The Town of Whitby will proudly be hosting judo and boccia at the state-of-the-art Abilities Centre, so don’t miss out on your chance to catch some amazing athletic events and express your civic pride. For information on how you can see the Games, visit the Pan Am/ParaPan Am website.
Many libraries prohibit food, so you may be surprised that food is permitted at all WPL branches. We do ask that you clean up after yourself using the waste receptacles provided and that you be mindful of your neighbours. And please be careful with your consumables around library materials and equipment. This will help us keep your library clean and avoid invasions of little critters that like to feast on our crumbs.
The only exception is that food is not permitted in the Whitby Archives. The archival collections are delicate, consisting of rare material that generally can’t be replaced and as such needs to be treated with extra care. Outside of the Archives, munch away!
If you need sustenance at the Central Library, drop by Presse Café for a sandwich, soup, pastry or caffeinated beverage.
Upcoming Programs
Doctor Who Party for Teens at the Central Library
Tuesday, August 18
2:30 to 4:00 pm
Calling all teen Doctor Who fans! Put your knowledge to the test with our trivia challenge, create your own Tardis and eat delicious Doctor Who inspired snacks. Plus, see how our 3D printer can be used to create cool Doctor Who objects. Costumes are optional, but encouraged!
Summer Reading Club Certificate Day at the Central Library
Thursday, August 20
3:00 to 4:00 pm
Members of the TD Summer Reading Club are invited to join us for a special wrap-up celebration when we’ll be featuring entertainment, book draws and prizes! Plus, all of our reading club members will receive their reading certificates.
Our special guest for the occasion is Super Sarah, who will amaze you with her magic and get you giggling with her comedy skills. Sarah is a Disney-trained children’s entertainer who brings her enthusiasm and energy to every show. Her interactive performance will make everyone feel like a part of the show.
Tickets are required for this event. Tickets are available at the Central Library main floor information desk.
Interested in joining a book club? Registration for the Brooklin Branch book club Fall 2015 session begins on Saturday, August 15 at 10:00 am, in-person only. Phone registration will be accepted after 12:00 noon if there are any remaining spots (space is limited to 12 members). Drop by the information desk at the Brooklin Branch to register and to pick up your first book.
The Book Club will meet on the third Monday of the month from 7:00 to 8:00 pm. The Fall 2015 selected titles are:
Looking for some distinctive art to decorate your living space with? Teens entering grades 7 to 12 are invited to join us and we’ll guide you through the process of creating unique string art.
Participants will choose from a selection of stencils, create an outline with nails, and thread some heavy string to create representational or abstract patterns. Although all necessary materials will be provided, feel free to bring your own wood if you like (stained and reclaimed wood will work particularly well for this project).
Children (grades JK and up) and caregivers are invited to meet Juno award-nominee Jake Differ, whose musical, funny and highly interactive live performances have delighted family audiences all across Canada.
Jake will be performing a special show that he developed for the Summer Reading Club theme “play.” Jake plays a great mix of up-tempo songs, leading the way on guitar, ukulele, flute and voice. Expect to sing, dance, play instruments and laugh the whole way through.
Interested in joining a book club? Registration for the Rossland Branch book club Fall 2015 session begins on Saturday, August 15 at 10:00 am, in-person only. Phone registration will be accepted after 12:00 noon if there are any remaining spots (space is limited to 12 members). Drop by the information desk at the Rossland Branch to register and to pick up your first book.
The Book Club will meet on the third Thursday of the month from 2:30 to 3:30. The Fall 2015 selected titles are:
Want a garden, but not all the work that goes along with it? Join us and make a miniature enclosed garden that you can enjoy year round. Plus, it’s low maintenance. Perfect for the busy teen.
Sometimes we get fixated on one particular author. In my case it’sLouisa May Alcott, best known to us as the author of the classicsLittle Women and Little Men. You can visit her family home, Orchard House, in Concord, Mass., and also her posh townhouse on Beacon Hill in Boston. She is a fabulous author, a woman who wrote in a “man’s world.” You can find out more about her life in these selected biographies.For a more fictional look at her life, Kelly O’Connor McNees weaves a beautiful story of Louisa inThe Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott. The book is set in the summer of Alcott’s 22nd year, during which she meets and falls in love with Joseph Singer and must choose between him and her writing career.
March, written by Geraldine Brooks,expands on the life of Bronson Alcott, who is seemingly not the picture-perfect father, unlike Jo’s father in Little Women. For a more fun, light-hearted take on Little Women, give The Little Women Letters a try. Three modern-day sisters find a collection of letters in the attic written by their great, great, grandmother Josephine March in which she writes of her life with her sisters in Concord. But no one can describe Josephine March better than her husband Friedrich who said, “Jo, such a little word for such a girl” delivered brilliantly by Gabriel Byrne in thefilm based on the book Little Women.
You’ll now find more Filipino language books and DVDs on the shelves at the Central Library, including a large selection of romance novels and feature films. See our catalogue for the entire print and moviecollections.
Virtual Branch: WPL on the Web
Google Search Tips and Tricks
Practically everyone, from newbies to the plugged-in superuser, starts their internet searching with a visit to Google. Go to Google, type in something, get results and go from there. Pretty simple, which is the point. Those of us who used the internet in the 1990s before Google came along remember how difficult it could be to find things online and how revolutionary it was (and still is).
We’re not trying to sound like evangelists (because there are all sorts of issues surrounding Google), but it actually offers many more tools than that simple Google search box.
Here are a few useful things you’ll find at the top of a typical Google results page. Under the search box on the top, there are six headings. The links lead to examples from a search for Whitby Public Library:
Web refers to a regular Google search with the results below.
If you click on Images or Videos, you’ll immediately see the top image and video results for your search.
News will take you straight to the top news hits for up-to-the-minute info.
More shows results from Google Maps, Google Books and more.
Search Tools enable you to filter your search for better results. For example, you can restrict your search to Canadian websites only. It isn’t perfect (some non-Canadian sites will sneak in there), but it works fairly well.
You can also use the Time option (under Any Time) to adjust the time period for your hits. For instance, your regular keyword search may keep returning the same top hits, but they’re dated months or years ago. With the Time option, you can limit your results to those that have appeared in the last hour, last day, last week or last year, with an option to filter by specific custom dates.
The final search tool is “all results” versus “verbatim.” Google tries to compensate for what it thinks are misspellings and incorrect terms by adding other results to your hit list. It also searches for synonyms (words that mean the same thing) for what you enter. Most of the time this is good, but sometimes you meant to type exactly what you typed. If you choose verbatim, it will do just that: your results will only reflect your search terms, not what Google’s algorithm thinks you meant.
We spend a lot of time using Google. These tools will help you make that time more effective, and get you the information you need more efficiently.
Saturn is the planet of restriction, rules and regulations. He rules Capricorn. This is the planet that puts up the boundary’s and who directs us to do the “right thing”. He has a bearing on our public image and how we conduct ourselves in our work/career’s and vocation, he is discipline and responsibility.
When a planet goes retrograde, it appears from the earth’s perspective to be going backwards. Before the planet goes retrograde there is also a period of “slow motion” and stationary movement… and again when the planet begins to turn direct as it builds up speed to once again be in alignment with the earth.
Some folk believe retrograde, slow and stationary movements of the planets can have an impact on our charts and on our daily lives… and others don’t give these movements much thought. :) The SGC team figure it doesn’t hurt to include them… :)
Saturn Retrograde:
Not the best time for financial dealings, which may extend to property purchase’s too.
Good for assessing the past, checking old lease agreements or business plans.
New commitments and the beginnings of brand new projects should be put aside until Saturn goes direct again, however, if this is not possible, take extra care about what you commit to and be sure the excitement of the new project is making you “blind” to all that is involved now and in the future.
Spend some time making improvements to the things you already know how to do… and while starting to learn something new isn’t recommended learning something connected to what you already know, will help with self-improvement. And Saturn, retrograde or not, should be happy with that… :)
Get those drawers and cupboards sorted out and maybe the trunk of the car too… spend some time in the garage and finally get rid of the stuff that has been sitting there for years… sort through the stuff from the past, organize it and keep only what you need.
While Saturn is usually a stickler for discipline and behaving correctly, he may be a little more lax in that area now, making this the perfect opportunity to back out of previous commitments without causing too much of a stink.
It could be easier for some of us to say no during this time, so don’t hesitate, if it doesn’t feel right, or you just don’t want to do it, try saying no.. :)
Not a good time to start a new business
Get the past and present sorted out now, and when Saturn goes direct again you will have a clean slate to fill and your ability to be disciplined will be much easier.
Saturn Turns Direct August 1 (PT) August 2 (ET)
What does this mean:
Saturn is the planet of restriction and discipline. He helps us to do what must be and directs us towards the sensible route… :) He is also fond of the elderly and sometimes with those in authority.
When he is retrograde, we get a little bit of break from always doing what it right, or being on our toes.. relaxing some of the rules and regulations, can help us to view our world from within. It is an opportunity to make changes to the norm and shake up our “rational world”..
When Saturn once again becomes settled in his direct motion, it is likely we will once again feel the pull of responsibility and duty. However, we should feel happier about doing so, especially if we have gained self-awareness while he was “away”… :)
How do I create happiness in my life? How have I achieved success? What brings me joy? Your Sun Spark: Start noticing your “Happiest Moment of the Day” (aka HMOTD) every day. I read about this practice in an interview with Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat Pray Love, a few years ago.
Your happiest moment might be a fabulous meal, or a smile someone gives you, or a birdsong you hear on your walk. The more you notice the things that bring you joy, the more your happiness will grow.
Post your HMOTDs on Twitter or Facebook, or write them on scraps of paper and put them in a special “Happiness Jar.” Watch your happiness grow and expand. Whoosh . . .
Brightest Blessings to you,
(Images: The Sun from the Gaian Tarot by Joanna Powell Colbert,
and The Sun from the Rider Waite Smith Tarot by Pamela Colman Smith.)
In astrology, the moon is connected to our emotions and reactions… how we are feeling on a given day may well be influenced by the sign that is visiting the moon… Each sign stays with the moon for up to 2.5 days…. :)
The Moon Void-off-Course:
There are times throughout the month when the moon isn’t fully immersed in any sign… this is when we say the moon is Void off Course… and when this occurs, we may feel “foggy” and “unfocused” … We may not be sure how we are truly feeling about a situation or a person…. Therefore it is not recommended that we make long-term commitments or important decision’s while the moon is Void off Course…. However there are 4 signs in the zodiac which may prove positive during the Void-off-Course moon…
Good for Void-Off-Course Moon:
These v/c signs may prove to be quite productive times.
Cancer
Taurus
Sagittarius
Pisces…
Opportunity Periods (thanks to astrologer Jim Shawvan):
There are other periods throughout the month that are known as opportunity periods, when it can prove to be a positive time for most people, however if you have challenging aspects happening within your own chart you may not be able to make use of opportunity periods.
Thanks to Jim Shawvan present day astrologer, William Lilly 17th century astrologer and Llewellyn’s Daily Planetary Guide for opportunity periods.
Void-off-Course: August 3 @ 4:35 pm (ET) 1:35 pm (PT) to 7:24 pm (ET) 4:24 pm (PT) Pisces is a fortunate sign for the Void off Course moon.
House(s): 5 th & 6th: 5th house of creativity, fun, children and pets: 6th house of health, service and detail.
Opportunity Period: August 2 9:28 am (ET) 6:28 (PT) to August 3 7:24 pm (ET) 4:24 pm (PT): Good for meditation, artistic activities and being helpful to others.
What does it all mean?
Pisces is compassionate and caring but can be taken for granted
Sometimes Pisces isn’t about helping others but helping oneself.
We can be more psychic during a Pisces moon, but we can also be easily deceived, so be sure of the “messages” received during this time.
Be careful if something sounds too good to be true, look for the hidden agenda
We can be susceptible to taking in stray animals and stray people now.
Our hearts can be broken or melted during this time depending on who is telling us what and what may be revealed now.
We can feel more spiritual with a Pisces moon, indicating this could be a good time to join a church or spiritual group
Keep an open mind when delving into new spiritual situations, ask questions and don’t believe everything you hear or see.
We can be wistful, impressionable, nostalgic and dreamy now.
In the 5th house: We may find we are spending more time with kids and pets… It’ s a time to have some fun, be entertained, or be entertaining… This could be a challenging time for those who enjoy sticking to a routine, and for those who love to fun it may be more than they usually handle. A healthy balance between work (duty) and play is strongly encouraged.
In the 6th house: Our well-being may be on our mind and our health may be in focus. We could be tempted to do more for less or find we are in a position to be of service to someone. Some of us can see all the small details now, don’t get overwhelmed, just do what’s needed.
The moon in Pisces will have more effect on those who have the following in their charts: And those who have strong Leo or Virgo placements in their charts
Giant Hogweed: Human reaction to contact: Symptons occur within 48 hours: Painful Blisters that can sometimes leave purplish scars that can last for years. Keep Away from eyes, may cause temporary or permanent blindness
Cow Parsnip: Human reaction to contact: Stem and Leaves contain chemicals that enhance the sun’s rays upon the skin and can cause sunburn. Can cause burn like blisters and dark spots: Wash the juice off the skin right away and were long sleeves for a few days.
Angelica: Human contact reaction, this plant has long been used for medicinal purposes, but may (on some people) cause dermatitis and serious photo sensitivities if used externally.
Serenity's Gift Cove (sgc) 