After a successful initial nine months in their first retail store, Anne Dickson and her team at flower shop Fox and the Fleur are opening a second location on Wednesday, July 12, in Sewickley.
Fox and the Fleur’s Aspinwall-based flagship store currently offers floral arrangements, home and garden merchandise, and bespoke giftware. Meanwhile, the new Sewickley spot — whose interior aesthetic was led by Pittsburgh native and popular designer Leanne Ford — will offer a mix of much of the same; beautiful flowers meant to celebrate life’s special moments alongside wares to enhance the home.
A TABLE favorite offering is Fox and the Fleur’s floral design workshops, where attendees of all skill levels are provided with tools, flowers, and vases and guided by Dickson through the process of creating various seasonal floral arrangements.
“Over the last year, many of our clients North and West of the City have encouraged us to look toward opening a second location in closer proximity to them,” says Founder Anne Dickson. “Recognizing an opportunity in the market and attracted to the charm and style of the region, we decided to go for it. We are so excited to open our doors on July 12 and offer people the full Fox and the Fleur experience.”
Dickson launched her floral design business in 2016 with the aim of providing others with the quiet luxury of cut flowers in their home. Since then, Dickson’s team has grown to include more than 13 employees and multiple business channels, including workshops, weddings and events, container gardening, and more.
Spicy Elote (also known as Mexican Street Corn) is a handheld treat designed for a nibble while strolling, browsing, and window shopping. Always a party for the palette, it brings to mind street festivals and early autumn celebrations. Make it at home during peak corn season, and enjoy a little bit of armchair traveling!
Longtime food stylist Ana Kelly dreamed this up during a photo session, making her, once again, the most popular person in the room.
What Are the Origins of Mexican Street Corn?
Mexican street corn’s origins connect to the widespread cultivation of corn in ancient Mesoamerica for thousands of years, making it a crucial ingredient in indigenous diets. Over time, citizens took to the practice of grilling or boiling fresh corn on the cob and then dressing it with readily available ingredients evolved. Vendors in urban centers like Mexico City specifically turned this simple food into a beloved snack by slathering it with mayonnaise or crema, cotija cheese, chili powder (or Tajín), and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
We’re spicing up Mexican street corn with extra chipotle pepper.
Ingredients
Scale
6 to 8 ears of sweet corn
½ cup sour cream
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup cilantro, finely minced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
½ tsp chipotle pepper (less for milder taste, more for spicy!)
1 tsp lime zest
2 tbsp fresh Lime juice
½ cup queso fresco, crumbled
Salt and black pepper to taste
Extra lime wedges and cilantro leaves for use at table
Instructions
Whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise, cilantro, garlic, chipotle, lime juice and lime zest. Add more chipotle for a kick. You might want to add a bit of salt and black pepper.
Husk the corn, and grill gently until slightly charred on all sides. Slather the corn with sauce, squeeze the lime wedges over the cobs, and sprinkle with crumbled queso fresco and cilantro leaves. Enjoy!
Recipe and Styling by Ana Kelly Photography by Adam Milliron
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The beginning to our Genovese Classico sounds cliché: it was indeed a dark and stormy night. Our soggy start notwithstanding, the ending was nonetheless fantastic because we had our first plate of this deeply traditional Neapolitan dish.
Genovese Classico Recipe
We may think of pizzas and nonna-made ragus when we think of Naples, but Genovese Classico pre-dates the 16th-century arrival of the tomato in Italy. Its primary ingredients are ancient: beef, pancetta, onion, wine, carrots and herbs. The secret to a successful Genovese rests with the cook, it’s patience. The best recipes often involve slow and steady braising, and this dish is no exception.
Try your hand at this oh-so-satisfying recipe. You will love it as much as we did on that dark and stormy night in Naples.
Add olive oil to a large pot. When hot, add cubed pancetta, Saute until the edges are slightly golden. Add onions, carrots, and celery. Lower the heat and let the mixture cook until the onions are translucent. Stir occasionally.
Add half the wine, bay leaves, thyme, and lemon zest—season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Nestle the chuck roast into the mixture so that it is submerged.
Cover and let simmer over very low flame for about 3 hours. Stir occasionally. Add wine if the liquid evaporates and the mixture looks too dry. When the meat is fork-tender, remove it from the pot and set it aside. Let the onion mixture continue to cook until it has jam consistency. Add lemon juice. Turn up the flame. Stirring frequently, caramelize the mix to a deeper golden brown. Lower the flame.
Pull the beef into bite-size chunks with a fork. Add to mixture and let warm again slowly. Taste the sauce: you can add salt, pepper, or a little extra lemon juice to taste.
Toss with al dente ziti or rigatoni cooked in well-salted water. Sprinkle with freshly grated pecorino cheese.
Notes
Hint: If you prepare the sauce the day before your meal. and let it sit overnight in the refrigerator, it is even better.
Recipe and Styling by Keith Recker Photography by Dave Bryce
This green pea pasta recipe comes from TABLE Magazine’s friend, Liz Fetchin, a native Pittsburgher, PR firm director, everyday home cook, and food blogger, shares easy but delicious recipes free of the top 8 most common food allergens: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy, and wheat. Liz’s amazing Octofree® recipes are delectable for all!
More About Gluten-Free Pasta and Allergen-Friendly Eating
Gluten-free pasta has come a long way, both in terms of texture (al dente and gluten-free are no longer mutually exclusive) and ingredients. While choices were once limited to varieties made from brown rice or corn, it’s now easy to find beautiful and colorful varieties that incorporate healthful ingredients such as lentils, beans, quinoa, and even charcoal. We tested different shapes and varieties to arrive at these three flavorful, complex, and visually-pleasing dishes for your spring table. We even used dairy alternatives to make the dishes accessible to a wider swath of people with food sensitivities. We’d proudly serve the results to any guests — even those without dietary restrictions.
For more allergen-free recipes and perspectives, visit Liz Fetchin’s blog, Octofree.
Oxford Miss for Southern Lady Magazine
Southern Literary Trail travel feature.
McEwen's Restaurant.
Pittsburgh and Birmingham, Alabama, share a lot of history. Historically, easy access to the ingredients of steel making put them on similar industrial pathways. Today, these sister cities also share a love of food fueled by lively, inventive chefs. It’s time to get to know this Southern sibling. TABLE contributor Julia Leonard shows the way.
They call it the Pittsburgh of the South and the Magic City. Founded in 1871, Birmingham, Alabama, was a boom town thanks to iron ore, coal, and limestone, the “magic” ingredients to make steel. Today it’s fuelled by business — healthcare, finance, retail — and a lively tourism trade. Visitors come for the history, the culture, and the food, with enough award-winning restaurants to keep you fed and watered, no matter how long you stay.
Where to Eat (and Drink) in Birmingham
Before racing over to the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum to gaze longingly at their cherry red 1959 Ducati 200SS, you’ll need coffee. And a croissant. You’ll find both at Bandit Pâtisserie, one of three restaurants run by Kristen Farmer Hall and executive chef/co-owner Victor King. Farmer Hall started baking with her kids back in 2013. They’d drop off baked goods on friends’ doorsteps, ring the bell, and run. “My friends dubbed us the baking bandits,” she says. The classic Parisian pâtisserie was her model. “I love the simplicity of a Parisian bakery. There’s coffee and pastries and nothing else.”
Bandit Patisserie
Fête means “party” in French, and that’s the idea behind Bar La Fête, Farmer Hall and King’s restaurant located next door to Bandit. “It’s a more refined French wine bar,” she says, with a predominantly French wine list. The idea is simple: “A French restaurant where you can come and get snacks and wine or stay and have a filet au poivre and a bottle of Burgundy and celebrate your life there.”
Just a short stroll away is their third restaurant, The Essential. It’s an all-day café stocked with the foods you wish you’d eaten growing up, cooked with deftly adult sensibilities. Pastas are made in-house, and portions are generous. Their Portuguese-inspired Chicken Peri-Peri, for example, includes half a chicken with guajillo marinade, peanut-lime gremolata, and enough fries to satisfy the keenest carb-loader. Expect an hour or two wait for brunch on the weekends, but it’s worth it once you take your first sip of their signature Honeycreeper cocktail: a blend of Smith & Cross rum, turmeric, pear, honey, and lemon.
The Essential
We have Rob McDaniel’s granny to thank for Helen, a Southern grill located in a two-story, 1920s-era shotgun-style building in downtown Birmingham. She cooked over hardwood coals on an indoor grill, and so does he, at the restaurant he owns and runs with his wife Emily. The embers bring to life winning dishes like Roasted Asparagus, Spring Onion, and Sauce Gribiche. “We blanch asparagus and then put it in a fire basket over the coals, which then goes on top of the aioli, with onions on top, and then we pipe out the egg–both yolk and foam–and garnish with dill and fried capers,” Rob says. Wipe the plate clean with their warm Angel Biscuits, served with whipped cane syrup butter and sea salt. You’ll think you’ve died and gone to heaven.
Before you ask, there is no Grace at Pizza Grace; however, there is a lot of meaning behind the name, says Helene Jones, who handles front of house while her husband Ryan Westover is home in the kitchen. Grace, she says, is “…something that is simple, elegant, and refined in movement… a simple prayer of thanks for the simplicity of things.” And simplicity is the idea: pizzas that are cooked in a blistering-hot oven with ingredients that, when possible, are locally sourced. The dough–always the deal-maker or breaker with pizza–uses a sourdough starter passed down to Ryan from his mentors. Did I mention Pizza Grace is a 2023 James Beard Award semi-finalist for Best New Restaurant?
Pizza Grace
Take a break and sit and sip at Harvest Roots Taproom where husband and wife team Lindsay Whiteaker and Peter Halupka serve up their own brewed kombucha with a focus on seasonal flavors and locally grown ingredients. Favorites? The imminently quaffable Meadow is a blend of lavender, yuzu citrus, and butterfly blossom while Sunshine is their take on a classic ginger kombucha made with ginger, lemon, and lime zest. There are 15 different kombuchas on tap, so hang out in the peaceful white-walled taproom, or grab a 32-ounce growler from their on-site bottle shop.
There are liquor stores — and then there’s LeNell’s Beverage Boutique, the inspired creation of the singular LeNell Camacho Santa Ana. Not only has she assembled an impressive array of spirits, bitters, and other boozy concoctions, it’s all housed in a space that is as quirky and free-spirited as she is, including a bathtub full of gin. Drop by this Norwood-neighborhood shop to pick up gifts for folks back home, like fig and pecan liqueur by John Emerald Distilling, gin by Wonderbird Spirits, and small-batch bourbon by Irons ONE. Actually, scratch that. They can make their own pilgrimage to LeNell’s. Bring back those bottles for yourself.
LeNell’s Beverage Boutique
You could say that cooking is in Chef Timothy Hontzas’s DNA. He opened Johnny’s Restaurant in Homewood (a Birmingham suburb) with its classic comfort food menu of meat-and-three-veg in tribute to his grandfather, father, and Uncle Gus. Now he’s garnered his second-in-a-row Best Chef-South finalist spot from the James Beard Awards. Alongside dishes such as the meltingly tender 15-Hour Pot Roast, Parmesan Grit Cake, Turnip Greens and Sweet Potato Purée with Cinnamon Maple Butter, you’ll find Greek classics like spanakopita and souvlaki, and specials like Cornmeal-Fried Alabama Gulf Shrimp with Smoked Chile de árbol. The sign on the menu board says it all: “We prepare food for the body, but Good Food to feed the soul.” Amen to that.
No visit to Birmingham is complete without barbecue. SAW’s (also in Homewood) serves up some of the best Carolina-style pulled pork sandwiches, barbecue chicken with their signature white sauce, and of course, ribs. And the name? The original owner was Mike Wilson who named the restaurant after the nickname he was given growing up: Sorry Ass Wilson. Also worth a visit is SAW’s Soul Kitchen in Avondale.
Johnny’s
And to understand just how thriving Birmingham’s food scene is, plan a visit to The Market at Pepper Place (open Saturdays). This farmers’ market launched in 2000 and helped change the way locals and budding chefs think about food says Executive Director Leigh Sloss-Corra. “It seeded a growing awareness and interest in locally grown, locally produced food,” she says. “There’s a whole generation of food creators and producers in Birmingham now who grew up in the culture.”
While you’re soaking up the atmosphere, nab jars of chow chow, bread and butter pickles, and pickled okra to stash in your suitcase and take home. Or a jar of Wallace Homestead’s jalapeño pepper-infused honey or Southern Brothers pork skins. You’ll walk away loaded with welcome reminders of your visit and a better taste for Birmingham. “Birmingham is not flat, in any way,” says Sloss-Corra, “and never will be. It’s distinctive, and hard at times, but also sparkling. So it is with the food. And the people.”
Seeing Birmingham
Like Pittsburgh, Birmingham was born out of iron and steel. Unlike Pittsburgh, it’s relatively young, founded in 1871 at the crossing of two railroad lines. The city blossomed through the early 1900s, growing so rapidly that people said it was “just like magic,” earning the new town the name “The Magic City.” That magic continues in Birmingham’s food scene, as well as in the arts, nightlife, outdoor recreation, and important sites to see.
Vulcan Park and Museum provides stunning panoramic views of the city and the famous Vulcan statue, the world’s largest cast-iron statue, standing at 56-feet tall and originally developed for the 1904 World’s Fair.
Birmingham Museum of Art
Birmingham Museum of Art boasts one of the finest collections in the Southeast, featuring more than 24,000 objects representing a rich panorama of cultures, including Asian, European, American, African, Pre-Columbian, and Native American. Highlights include the museum’s collection of Asian art, considered the most comprehensive in the Southeast; its collection of Vietnamese ceramics, one of the finest in the world; and the world-renowned collection of Wedgwood, the largest outside of England.
Sloss Furnaces, now a National Historic Landmark, was one of the first industrial sites in the US to be preserved and restored for public use. It currently hosts a nationally recognized metal arts program, serves as an interpretive museum of industry, and hosts concerts and festivals throughout the year.
Birmingham Botanical Gardens, home to more than 12,000 types of plants, 25 unique gardens, original outdoor sculptures and walking paths, the campus provides a stunning outdoor experience.
Birmingham Botanical Gardens
Birmingham Zoo’s 122-acre site features hundreds of animals from six continents. Their new Trails of Africa exhibit describes their position as a leader in elephant conservation. Visitors will be inspired to go deeper into global wildlife conservation.
Birmingham Civil Rights District, a National Monument, tells significant stories of the city’s role in desegregating the American South. Visitors can experience this tragic but important history at the District’s key landmarks: the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, 16th Street Baptist Church, Kelly Ingram Park, A.G. Gaston Motel, the Historic Bethel Baptist Church, and the Fourth Avenue Business District.
Special thanks to photographer Art Meripol and Leigh Sloss-Corra, our esteemed guides for our visit to Birmingham.
Story by Julia Platt Leonard / Principle photography by Art Meripol
Here in Pittsburgh, nowhere is that more apparent than in the tradition of the wedding Cookie Table, a groaning board filled with multi-tiered platters of cookies baked by the happy couple’s family and friends. At some weddings, the Cookie Table outshines (visually and gustatorily) the wedding cake itself. It’s a tangible display of love and affection, of effort expended on behalf of others’ pleasure.
June is a big month for weddings (The New York Times recently quoted industry trade group Wedding Report’s prediction of a whopping 2.5 million marriages in 2022). But June also sees an annual onslaught of other events where the communal appeal of cookies is clear: graduation parties, Father’s Day, Shavuot. International Picnic Day!
All cookies are perfect, but some travel better than others. Shortbread, traditionally a sturdy, unadorned drop, bar, or coin, are terrific candidates for schlepping to a reception, park, or party. And the perfect way to demonstrate a sense of community. This version is both untraditional — almond flour replaces the all-purpose flour, making them gluten-free — and understated. I prescribe they should be taken with strong coffee after dinner.
Simple ingredient come together to accompany your morning tea with a sweet treat.
Ingredients
Scale
1 cup almond flour
3 tbsp butter, softened
3 tbsp confectioners’ sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp Earl Grey tea leaves, crushed (a mortar and pestle work great here, but you can get good results with your thumb and forefinger, too)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Mix all of the ingredients in a small bowl until a cohesive dough forms. Unlike pie dough, you’re not going for flaky, so make sure the butter is completely incorporated. Even small chunks will make your cookies too fragile.
Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. During that time, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Divide the dough in half, then divide each half evenly into six pieces, for a total of 12 pieces. Form the pieces into balls, then drop them onto the prepared baking sheet, arranging the balls of dough about 1 1/2″ to 2″ apart.
Use a fork to flatten each cookie to about 1/4″ thick, making a crosshatch design.
Bake for 5 minutes, then rotate the baking sheet, front to back.
Continue baking for an additional 4-5 minutes, until they start to turn light golden brown on top.
Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days; freeze for longer storage.
Alternatives for This Recipe
Between the almond flour, the low sugar level, and the Earl Grey, these are not particularly appealing to most children; to make them more kid-friendly, bump up the powdered sugar to a quarter cup (4 tablespoons), ditch the tea leaves, and roll the balls in colored sugar before baking.
For a Cranberry-Orange vibe, substitute 1 teaspoon orange zest and 1/4 cup dried cranberries for the Earl Grey tea.
It’s a totally crazy, forget your a lady, kind of cocktail. You can’t sip on Man, I Feel Like a Woman without those classic Shania Twain lyrics making their way into your head, and probably out of your mouth. Is it because you love that catchy tune, or is it the tequila talking? Whichever it may be, it’s your prerogative to have a little fun with this, the sixth cocktail in our 2023 Summer Concert Cocktail Series.
In a cocktail shaker, add the diced peaches, sugar, fresh lime juice, and muddle.
Add in ice, tequila, peach schnapps, peachy-jalapeno honey simple, and shake vigorously until well chilled.
Strain and pour into the glass with ice.
Garnish with a couple of jalapeño slices tucked into the ice, and a peach fan on a cocktail pick.
Peachy-Jalapeno Honey Simple Syrup Recipe
Ingredients
1 large jalapeño (remove stem and most of the seeds) 1 large peach (remove seed and slice) 1 cup water 1 cup honey
Instructions
Add the jalapeno, peach, water, and honey to a saucepan.
Bring to a boil over high heat and then reduce to a simmer for about 7-10 minutes until the mixture has boiled down into a thickened syrup.
Remove from the heat. Note: If you want a mild syrup, then strain immediately. If you want a hotter syrup then steep for as little as 20 minutes until mixture has reached room temperature and then place in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.
Once you have reached the desired spice level, strain the syrup into a container and store it in the refrigerator. This Peachy-Jalapeno Honey Simple Syrup will keep for about a month as is.
Recipe by Sarah Cascone / Styling by Anna Calabrese / Photography by Dave Bryce / Story by Star Laliberte
Are you searching for an easy weeknight dinner? Look no further than this crowd-pleasing Tomato and Feta Pizza from our Beano’s Deli Condiments friends. Their white pizza sauce with basil adds the perfect, basil-y zing to a classic crust, salty feta cheese, and ripe red tomatoes.
What is Beano’s Classical White Pizza Sauce?
Surprisingly, this white pizza sauce is not white in color but rather adds the oily, garlicky flavors to your Tomato and Feta Pizza. Beano’s White Pizza Sauce captures the essence of early Italian white pizza, which traditionally involved crusty bread, fresh garlic, and mozzarella, all brightened with olive oil. Beano’s recreates this historic taste by blending 100% pure soybean oil with fragrant basil leaves and a medley of traditional Italian spices.
Spread the white pizza sauce on the pizza shell. Sprinkle the mozzarella on top of the shell and evenly place the tomato slices around the pizza. Then, sprinkle the feta crumbles around the pizza.
When topped, cook in the oven for 12-15 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool for a few minutes, and enjoy!
1956 Porsche 356 by Bill Stoler at the 2022 Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix
The fine days of summer tempt us to fly out the door to join our comrades and compatriots in having some FUN! Meet up during this bright season at a concert, a comedy club, a golf weekend, a festival or two, a car race… so many delights await you in the weeks ahead in Western Pennsylvania.
Shania Twain The Pavilion at Star Lake, July 13
“Gonna let it all hang out” when Shania Twain comes to town because “Oh, oh, oh, I wanna be free, yeah, to feel the way I feel.”
llana Glazer Byham Theater, July 13
Broad City’s llana Glazer is bringing her quirky brand of stand-up comedy to the Byham Theater for a night of big gut-wrenching laughs and smiles.
Two-Day Golf School Nemacolin, July 13-14
Whether you’re new to golf or a seasoned player, Nemacolin’s Two-Day Golf School uses personalized instruction and video-swing analysis to take your game to the next level. Taught by one of Golf Digest’s 50 Best Teachers in America, Andrew Rice, and a Golf Digest 2023 Best Young Teacher in America, Mike LaBella.
Photo courtesy of Nemacolin
Northside Music Festival North Side, July 14-16
Never heard of the Northside Music Festival? That’s because it was previously known as the Deutschtown Music Festival. But while the name may be different, guests can still expect three days of free live music set against the beautiful backdrop of Pittsburgh’s skyline.
Night Life After Dark Carnegie Museum of Natural History, July 14
Channel Night at the Museum during Night Life After Dark, where you have the opportunity to get personal with things that grow better in the night, like plants and fungi, while learning more about the cosmos and what scientists find in the moonlight.
Rib & Wing Festival Seven Springs, July 14-16
Pass the barbecue sauce… Seven Springs’ annual Rib & Wing Festival returns for its 13th year.
Night Life After Dark, Photo by Joshua Franzos
Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix Schenley Park, July 14-23
Call all car lovers: from the Tailpipes Gala to a car show and race, there’s no doubt you’ll have a racing good time during this 10-day celebration of motorsports.
Wildflower Festival Freedom Farms, July 15-16
Take a short drive out of the city and stop to smell the roses. Well, in this case, it’s sunflowers, zinnias, snapdragons, and gomphrenas, and you can pick them while the kiddos indulge in pony rides, swings, a sunflower maze, and more.
Wildflower Festival, Photo courtesy of Freedom Farms
Birthday Toy Drive Party Trace Brewing, July 16
Drink up! For every beer imbibed during Trace Brewing’s Birthday Toy Drive Party, $1 will be donated to The Children’s Home of Pittsburgh.
Summerlands Street Market Cinderlands, July 16
Cinderlands is closing down 26th Street for its first-ever Summerlands Street Market, where at least 30 vendors will sell everything from fruits and vegetables to candles and clothing.
Snoop Dogg, Wiz Khalifa The Pavilion at Star Lake, July 18
We recommend giving this concert a wide breadth if you and yours are not a fan of the herb.
Phish The Pavilion at Star Lake, July 21-22
Start readying your tie-dye, the kings of jam bands are landing in the ‘Burgh.
Elliott Cramer Photography images for the National Aviary’s Night in the Tropics, 2019.
Swissvale Edible Garden Tour Swissvale, July 22
The private gardens of Swissvale residents — from newbies to garden vets — will be open to the public during this free, community choose-your-own-adventure style tour. After browsing (or before!), stop by the Swissvale Farmers’ Market and community picnic.
Night in the Tropics National Aviary, July 22
Taste, hear, and indulge in the Caribbean experience without leaving the City of Bridges. As birds fly above the National Aviary’s beautiful habitats, feast on food and beverages from local restaurants before losing yourself in the sounds of the tropics.
Summer Gallery Crawl Cultural District, July 28
If cold or rainy weather kept you away from the winter and spring Gallery Crawls in the Cultural District, now’s your chance to enjoy local art while the summer warmth caresses your skin.
2023 Spring Gallery Crawl, Photo courtesy of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
Vintage Market Days Monroeville Convention Center, July 28-30
Prepare to be amazed by the variety of upscale, retro offerings found at Vintage Market Days. Shop sustainability by giving a second (or third, or fourth) life to art, clothing, furnishings, and beyond, and find something not available anywhere else.
TacoMania Super Fest SouthSide Works, July 30
According to the event listing, this food gathering is more than just a taco festival. As some of the best tacos joints come together in one place, Pittsburgh Pro Wrestling will put on a match for a street food celebration unlike the ‘Burgh has ever seen. Oh yeah, and there’s beer sampling too!
Story by Jordan Snowden / Send your events tips to jordan@tablemagazine.com
What’s brewing in your horoscope this summer? The stars suggest that we will find it in ourselves to devote attention to the health of land, rivers, lakes, and oceans… and for each other. It’s a time for gatherings and for relaxing moments, for appreciation of the light of the sun, and how it begins its annual descent even as it gives us its all.
As summer begins, the Sun enters the sign of Cancer crossing an equinox point in the solar path through the zodiacal year. This is a halfway point in the year marking the Sun’s highest latitude in the Northern Hemisphere. At this time, we experience the maximum length of daylight and the deepening greens of spring’s young foliage. From here, we enjoy the height of summer, but also it heralds the beginning of incremental decreases in the amount of sunlight. This is one of the reasons the sign Cancer is associated with remembering and sentimentality. Embedded in this time of seasonal abundance is the quiet reminder that every season comes to pass.
As the Sun crosses that turning point Jupiter remains in the earth sign Taurus. There is a harmonious relationship between the Sun in Cancer and Jupiter in Taurus. Saturn now retrograde in Pisces is also involved in this relationship, initiating a summer when collectively we’ll be concerned with the welfare of our lands, rivers, lakes, and oceans. Cancer is guided by the Moon, our local satellite who cares for us with its gravitational tugs and pulls, working together with the Sun to keep biodiversity on Earth flourishing. Jupiter and Saturn in water and earth signs remind us that the life-giving abundance Earth provides is a generous gift to be savored but must be respected and cared for.
July 22, Venus will station retrograde in Leo near Mercury while the Moon is in Venus’ sign Libra. This commences a 42-day period where we may feel heavy-hearted and contemplative regarding the ways in which we give and receive love. It is also a prime time to be grateful for friends and lovers that have revealed more of ourselves through the delicate exchange of relating. Retrograde, Venus also engages our creativity with subversive modes of aesthetic expression conjuring inventive approaches to convivial summer gatherings. This point leaves a watermark embedded with the symbolic reminder to relax and consider how we define beauty within our environments and those with whom we surround ourselves.
Aries
Aries, revering the independent spirit you possess the bravery of a lone wolf. In relationships, you nurture the space where autonomy is held simultaneously within harmony. Summer begins with the Moon, Venus, and your guiding planet Mars in your fifth house of love affairs and pleasure. All three planets in the fire sign Leo at this time are operating with a glowing expression. Ushered by the Sun, there is a gravitational pull to this configuration creating a ripe opportunity to engage with the sensual delights of life; romance, good food, leisure, and the arts. Enjoy a night out at the theater or a favorite tavern striking up conversation. Show up boldly, flirting with the tactility of human-to-human connections. Pleasure, love, and creation require vulnerability and risks. Just before Venus catches up to Mars in the sky to form a conjunction, it will station retrograde, moving backwards, echoing the pull and tug of temptation. Venus retrograde reminds us that love and creative pursuits are always a gamble. Willfully steep in creative chaos, luring intimacy to your flame.
Taurus
Jupiter holds the most powerful gravitational pull besides the Sun. Since May 16, Jupiter entered Taurus and has been transiting your first house of identity, perception, and appearance. Jupiter in the earth sign Taurus asks what you are drawn towards and what elements in your immediate environment ensure a sense of comfort. Transiting your first house, Jupiter suggests reimagining the proclivities of your five senses. Our attraction to things is peculiar and particular. Rest and listen this summer to the subtle wisdom of your sixth sense. Jupiter in Taurus suggests earthy flavors, textures, colors, and scents available for making the experience of life novel and interesting. Saturn in Pisces forms a favorable aspect to Jupiter, further tuning this transit with a taste for austerely dreamy things. Think soothing music, sublime fragrances, simple decorative objects, foods that are light but nutrient-dense, and garments that cover through crisp, light layers. There is a grounded yet light-footed approach to this astrology. A tepid effervescent celestial breeze that invites opportunities to be purposefully lost in your thoughts as well. Definitely stop to smell the roses.
Gemini
This year your guiding planet, Mercury, makes its retrogrades in zodiacal earth signs (Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn). Later this summer, possessing much strength, Mercury will station retrograde in Virgo in your fourth house of lifestyle. Cleanliness is next to godliness are words you live by. Your guide Mercury signifies not only your mind but also matters of the home. With Virgo in your fourth house, you think a great deal about home, maintaining a sanctuary to rest a fluid mind. Throughout most of July and August, Mars and Saturn form a challenging aspect stressing the balance of your life’s work and life at home. Plan now the granular details of cleaning, organizing, and completing any domestic projects you’ve neglected. Come late summer, mind your mental hygiene as you may become lost in the details. A practical use of this time would be to ground yourself in new practices around your living space, creating a comfortable hub for summer reading, daydreaming, and conjuring domestic magic. All of which are Gemini delights.
Cancer
It was once said that all spirits descended through the part of the sky associated with Cancer on their way to becoming embodied. Cancer, like the ambient sound of the ocean heard through a spiraling conch shell, you give form to spirit and soul. We cannot see spirit per see, but we catch glimpses of it through things we can sense. Through our bodies and the words that we speak, spirit is molded into an expression of vital strength. On July 1, planet Mercury transiting Cancer will conjoin the Sun in your first house of body, mind, and spirit. Hidden within the Sun’s rays during this phase, Mercury is considered to be in the heart of the Sun where it is purified, regenerated, and then reborn when it becomes visible again. Mercury is the god of communication. The Sun, clarity. During this time, you’ll feel as if you’re speaking without words. There is a genuine comfort level when we experience nonverbal communication with ourselves, others, and our surroundings. Things will just feel right without having to understand why.
Leo
This summer, Venus will retrograde in Leo in your first house of body, mind, and identity. While retrograde, Venus will make close contact with Mercury. Venus represents enchantment. Mercury stands for questioning and discernment. Our experience of beauty is not rational. Beauty, when most striking, is enigmatic. Beauty alters and enhances our awareness. Venus retrograde with Mercury is beauty formed from the inside out. The Sun, also in Leo, is present with Venus and Mercury in your first house of the self. As the pivoting axis of our solar system, the Sun is an essential load-bearing column supporting our identity and destiny. During this vulnerable time allow the sway of the Venusian retrograde to work up an aromatic froth of possible identities. Like the heavens that emerge from the shores of our eastern earthly horizon, Venus mythically arrived on the foaming shores of the ocean where water laps onto land. This back-and-forth motion is where new life begins. This summer tend to the transcendent process of uniting your inner and outer appearance. Dress for the gods whether or not anyone is looking. Beauty born pure has no reason.
Virgo
Of the elements, fire exists on what is considered to be the highest spiritual plane. Fire can destroy, purify and nourish. Virgo, you are the earth sign guided by wing-footed Mercury, articulating the architecture within intricate systems of knowing and seeing. At the precise time of the summer solstice, a spirited configuration ignites a positive charge between Mercury and Mars. Mercury in the air sign Gemini in your 10th house asks what are the ideas you’d like to be recognized for. Mars in the fire sign Leo fans a flame illuminating places where you hold onto fear. As fire and air meet in your 12th house, you are asked to question an unconscious voice that has become a source of self-defeat. Like plants and trees that require fire to reseed, allow Mars to ignite your imagination. Write a few pages of stream-of-consciousness writing allowing your thoughts to burn like wildfire. Write whatever comes to mind. Write the same word repeatedly if that is the only message coming through. Now rest, and as your thoughts cool off, search through the “ashes” of your writing for repeating patterns, signs, or evidence of something you would like to reconsider about yourself. This process will bring you closer to a heart-centered awareness that is not possible to reach through habitual thought processes.
Libra
Libras spend a lifetime cultivating the loving and caring skills of the archetypal mother. Every year at summer solstice, the Sun enters Cancer in your 10th house of destiny and mothering in all of its iterations. Among other significations, the 10th house is where we nurture our aspirations into the pinnacle of visible self-expression. This lunar process of listening, reflecting, and caring for others is not unlike the mother figure within a family structure, carefully looking out for the needs of its members. Be conscious this summer of putting your needs aside for the sake of basking in the light of your willingness to please. Like a mother, those around you will often seek your attention for guidance and assurance. Allow yourself to feel resourced as well by those you hold dear. Like a mother, the Moon is always present in the sky, even if you do not see it. Mother figures often willingly and quietly take the backseat for the benefit and comfort of others. At times you must shine when you’d prefer to retreat. As the Sun reaches this point annually in your astrology, Libra, it is a reminder to focus on providing care for yourself as you do so often for others. Remember to mother you must also be mothered.
Scorpio
Scorpio, you’re a patient lover spending vital energy assessing the most potent use of your power. All the while, discreetly negotiating trust for those close to you. As the Sun ingresses into Cancer you will have the Moon, Venus, and your planetary guide Mars in Leo transiting your 10th house of ambition and visibility. Venus, goddess of love, and Mars, the god of war, orbit along opposite sides of Earth working symbolically together as a generator converting bodily emotions and energy into electricity (i.e. relationships). Mars in the fire sign Leo in your 10th house is eager for heated and meteoric action. Venus, closely following Mars is your seventh-house guide of relationships, shining brightly in the evening sky indicating a person of fascination. This could be a romantic flirtation or friendly collaboration, but the act of courtship appears to be of prominence. Allow this intriguing dance to metabolize as Venus will station retrograde near the end of July and you’ll both be reconsidering the acts of affection that make your heart beat. Around July 27, Venus and Mercury will conjoin, signaling an alchemical clue of the chemistry brewing within this starry-eyed interlude.
Sagittarius
Oak trees, known for their strength, are slow to mature. They produce acorns only after decades of growth and have for millennia been associated with great sages. Your planetary guide Jupiter, who shares a symbolic correspondence with oak trees, is in Taurus in your sixth house of affliction and disorder. Curiously, once mature, every four to ten years, certain oak populations will simultaneously produce little if any acorns, only to produce an opulent harvest of acorns the following year. Sagittarius, you are optimistic and faithful of the natural order of things. As someone who is comfortable taking up space, as mighty oaks do, your vitality may spread thin at times, deflating your great aspirations. Therefore, the sixth house of toil is a tough place for Jupiter in Taurus because it requires that you be patient while a new cycle sprouts. Like the oaks who pause their acorn production in order to ensure future growth, find solace in their wisdom that a more expansive future comes after a time of pause and rest.
Capricorn
We cannot count solely on our peers and family to develop our beliefs. At times we must go at it alone. This summer, Mars in the earth sign Virgo will oppose your planetary guide Saturn while retrograde in Pisces. This configuration between Mars and Saturn can have an untethered quality when it comes to feeling at home or of like mind with family and friends. Like a floating island you may feel the nauseating tug on the heart of homesickness while anchored by the stability of lineage that bonds families and folks together. The mythic symbol for Capricorn is a chimera composed of a fishtail with the torso of a goat straddling liminal spaces between the aquatic and terrestrial. Capricorns are concerned with the preservation of tradition, which can easily dissolve depending on who steers the narrative. Amidst unstable circumstances, you, more than anyone, understands that within every lineage is preserved an ancestral core that cannot be shaken. Capricorn, become a bridge among your kin, reconciling what beliefs hold water and those that have hardened into stone.
Aquarius
In folklore, wells were venerated for their abundance of life-sustaining water. Aquarius, you are the water bearer in the sky pouring from your celestial urn a spring of everlasting life. Since time immemorial water has been regarded as miraculous and sacred wells were visited by those seeking blessings. Your planetary guide Saturn entered the water sign Pisces in March and is since transiting your second house. The second house includes topics such as material possessions, food, and currency: a reservoir supporting your life force. The ancients referred to the second house as the Gate of Hades leading to the underworld. The underworld held the wealth beneath Earth upon which empires were built. By chance, the goods of the underworld are plentiful for some and not others. Full or dry, the content of one’s well is relative to individual needs. Moral and spiritual impoverishment can come with a big bank account. Saturn offers sobering perspectives on the delusions excess or lack can stir. If possible, lower your bucket into your own “well” and offer charity to those in need. And if your well is low at this time, consider what resources you have to work with and creatively do more with less.
Pisces
Days before summer solstice, Saturn will station retrograde in Pisces where it has been passing through your first house of the mind, body, and soul. During this time, you have been surveying the unlimited power of your extrasensory perception. Upon this retrograde Saturn asks to dive deeper into any part of yourself that has lost touch with nature. More specifically, your nature. Saturn embodies a melancholy that comes with the awareness of our detachment from ourselves. As a Pisces, you feel things deeply. One stone thrown into your ocean sends ripples to its edges. Nearby, Jupiter is in a friendly configuration with Saturn offering a helping hand through the metaphysical obstacle course Saturn retrograde has initiated. Jupiter in Taurus is generous like oozing amber honeycomb. To adapt to this slow Saturnian growth do as the bees do. Metaphorically feed on local and select regional ingredients. Immerse yourself in the organic matrix of familiar ecologies. Like the healing qualities of local honey you’ll be tempering the connection between yourself and the natural world.
Story and Imagery by Shane Powers, Enon Valley Astrology
