The Pleasure Way to Travel

by Christiane Northrup, M.D.

Lifestyle

As you know, I’ve been researching the beneficial effects of pleasure as a health strategy for the last few years. To get in on these benefits, you have to become a student of your own pleasure. You have to know what lights you up. What turns you on. Here’s the challenge. Many women don’t even know! Why? Because we’ve been brought up in households in which our unique approach to pleasure wasn’t recognized. Or perhaps was even criticized. Hence it can take a while to recognize it.

That certainly was my story. I grew up in a household of world class athletes who were gung ho to get up every morning and go running or make the first tracks in the powder that had fallen (on the slopes) the night before. Every family vacation involved carrying a backpack and climbing a mountain. My mother, Edna Northrup, reveled in these activities, which you really have to give her credit for. It’s not easy getting five children out the door with ski equipment on! Though I’ll always be grateful for the discipline of the physical activity, I never quite fit in. And I always thought something was wrong with me because I didn’t get the same kick out of these activities.

This year I discovered the field of shamanic astrology and the importance of the planet Venus—the planet of love and beauty. I found out that my Venus is in Scorpio, the sign of the courtesan, and someone who seeks the honey of tango, good food, sensuality, and dance as a way to experience life force and pleasure. My mother, on the other hand, has her Venus in Aquarius. Venus in Aquarius is the sign of the person who needs to go to the mountaintop to experience the big picture of freedom.

Venus in Scorpio and Venus in Aquarius are two very different ways in which to experience pleasure. This past winter, I got a nod from the Universe about this. Mom and I both lectured at a Team Northrup seminar in Austin, Texas. Mom, age 83, drove her camper from Ellicottville, New York all the way to Austin, Texas with her friend Anne, who is 85. They were on their way to Sedona, Arizona together. When I said goodbye to them at the end of the conference, I stood behind my mother’s camper so we could have our pictures taken. And for the very first time, I saw the brand name of my mother’s camper: “Pleasure Way.” And the wheel cover said, “The Pleasure Way to Travel.” I laughed and laughed. And realized that my mother has been following her Venus in Aquarius bliss for many years.

My mother has, indeed, been following her Pleasure Way! And though it took me a while, I have also finally found my pleasure way. It simply doesn’t involve a camper or a trek up a mountain at the crack of dawn! To find out about your Venus position, just Google Free Astrology Chart. Then put in your birth date, time, and place, and your chart wheel will appear. You’ll be able to see where your Venus is located, including what sign it’s in. Read about that sign, and it will give you a big clue as to how you like to experience pleasure and love!

Last Updated: August 11, 2009

Christiane Northrup, M.D.

Christiane Northrup, M.D., is a visionary pioneer and a leading authority in the field of women’s health and wellness. Recognizing the unity of body, mind, and spirit, she empowers women to trust their inner wisdom, their connection with Source, and their ability to truly flourish.

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