Jupiter In Sagittarius

Jupiter in Sagittarius
November 24th 2006 to December 19th 2007

Get out the travel books, log on to Google Earth and update your passports. From the mysterious depths of bottomless Scorpio Jupiter breaks through the waters into the full glare of shadow-dispelling, truth-seeking, evangelical Sagittarius.

November 24th at 17:45 (NZST) is launch day, and as Jupiter fires its engines and points its nose to the skies, our mood and outlook will turn from emotional to idealistic, introspective to seeking, cautious to optimistic, anxious and suspicious to positive and trusting. Where we have been stuck in a groove we will want shake off the shackles to grow and stretch, to push the boundaries, to explore new territories mentally, physically and spiritually. There will be the usual hotspots of turbulence that all planets encounter as they travel through signs, but with Jupiter returning to home-base, there is a stronger sense of inner conviction that relies less on other people and things, and more on issues, people, places and beliefs that ring an inner bell that resonates with our own basic tenets of life. In other words, Jupiter will act like a spiritually-inclined, heat-seeking missile that will fire up even the most fragile and basic of belief systems. If we haven’t developed or thought about what we believe in, this is the year to set out on a pilgrimage as we will be more receptive and easily moved by the sounding of the bell.

Jupiter is always about learning, whether formally or in the school of life. A real or symbolic desire for travel and exploration are essential requisites if we are to really draw down Jupiter’s traditional meaning when in this sign. Jupiter in Sag is like the sights, sounds and smells of an exotic, sun-drenched bazaar in a country far from home. If we want, our senses can open wide with the new experiences as we literally drink in what we encounter – the colours, the dialects and languages, and the customs. The local marketplaces of any town or country in the world provides the raw goods that are the basis of whatever is cooked, used or practiced at home, and by viewing the world as a marketplace where we can purchase these magical experiences, we will find ourselves with a cupboard full of interesting recipes and ingredients from which to sustain our personal life and the lives of those we come into contact with.

This can happen if we decide to stay at home too by going further and learning more than we usually do about our own customs and cultural variations. We get to truly experience life if and when we seek it out, and even just the act of drawing up a totally flexible game plan that will include meeting people, greeting visitors or beating the pavements of territories outside our local maps will help to expand our consciousness. Just like Google Earth (which is bound to become a very popular tool!) we can map out our lives because all at once we can see where we have been, where we are now and where we would like to go simultaneously. The ability to imagine life from above looking down will help dispel insularity and create a larger perspective. Pinpoint, but then realise, that where you are now is simply a dot in the ocean that surrounds you. As the years stretch ahead in this new 12-year cycle, we might ask ourselves what the quality of the journey will be like – spiritually-rich or spiritually-lacking. We are bound to feel restless and irritable if we avoid new experiences and people, or withhold our own knowledge. Given the intellectual nature of Sag and that this is the sign of the storyteller, the communicators of the world will want to write, publish, blog, and generally tell the world useful bits of very colourful information - and what better time to gather up information. However, substance and quality rather than bragging and boasting should be aimed for.

Jupiter in Sag happens every twelve years and always signifies a new beginning within the learning centre of our lives (this is different for everyone but there is always somewhere in our chart where we learn the most). Jupiter brings a new perspective and fresh angles on both the old and the novel in this individual area. Globally, emerging trends can be found now and the more forward thinkers amongst us will be quick to spot and take a punt on what these might be. Jupiter is the lucky planet and we might find ourselves in the right place at the right time, or, perhaps the qualities of Sagittarius draws what we need most just when we need it.

This is the year to get generous, gregarious and go-getting after all the introspection of Jupiter’s transit through Scorpio. What did we learn over the last year (or should that be the last 12 years) that can be put to good use now? This is the year of the double-act since Sagittarius is a double-bodied, fluid sign and it is the year of growth-spurts. It is far from being a time of putting down roots so increased travel and house moves are likely in our search for space and openness. Cramped and claustrophobic will make us feel down in the dumps. And, like the archer who sets his sight on the bulls-eye and then pulls his hand back as far as it will reach, mentally, physically and spiritually we can expand, stretch, push and grow steadily and surely, in small but positive increments. Unless you have put in a rock-solid training, as the archer does, and truly done your homework and trained your sights, in which case you could grow giddy from the sudden fame, expansion and multiple offers that you will likely receive, it would be best to fire one arrow at a time, gaining composure before taking the next aim. Jupiter in Sag will encourage us to aim at all the wrong spots to reach our goals so we have to be sure that our goals are reasonable and attainable first. Jupiter will give us an ounce of confidence that, if mishandled, can quickly inflate to a ton of expectations that are beyond being able to be achieved. Jupiter can sometimes encourage us to dive into what we thought was the deep end but which turns out to be very shallow and very painful. During the first flushes and rushes of the possibilities that open up during the first part of this transit (November to April 2007) our enthusiasm and positive attitude overshadows practical considerations. There can be a too much of a “she’ll be right” attitude”.

Since Jupiter returns to Sagittarius every 12 years, it is sometimes possible to look back to past transits to get a sense of how this transit will shape up over the next year. Working backwards, here is a list of previous years:

1995/96
1983
1971/72
1959/60
1947/48
1935/36
1923/24

If you were born during one of these years, you will experience an increased effect of this transit because it will highlight your inherent philosophies in life and your tendency to be an eternal student. You don’t feel alive unless you are living at full speed and in constant motion. Your learning comes from direct experiences and the playground that is planet Earth, and this manifests as a desire to travel, read and do everything on a larger scale than the rest of us – you also make great teachers because of this eternal thirst for knowledge. Of course, Jupiter will be modified by other signs and aspects in your chart, but generally speaking, you have strong Sagittarian qualities that can overpower even your own birth-sign. You are full of passion, confidence and exuberance. 2007 is the year to live up to your own high-minded ideals.

For the rest of us, a new cycle begins each time Jupiter enters a new sign - for instance, from one transit of Scorpio, which lasts about one year, to the next transit of Scorpio will be approximately every 12 years. But when it travels through the sign it rules, there is a greater emphasis on the qualities of Jupiter and the qualities of Sagittarius. Planets animate and bring to life the particular areas of our charts they are passing through, signs provide the backdrop and temperament we adopt while dealing with the area of life that is being highlighted – which is called a House – e.g. work, home or in relationships. So, for each individual, the slot of your horoscope that holds Sagittarius, will be the area that will be super-emphasised. An astrologer can tell you this, or you can get your chart drawn up and find it yourself – look for the spoke that has an arrow with a line through it.

Globally, Jupiter and Sagittarius are connected astrologically to religion so there is bound to be an added emphasis on this in 2007. Note that Mars had been travelling in a direct and retrograde motion through this sign just prior to September 11, 2001. Mars was at one degree of Capricorn on September 11, 2001 but because the engineering of these attacks would have been planned during Mars’s transit through Sagittarius, the stimulation of these degrees by Jupiter in 2007, could trigger a similar stirring of fervour – even if this just means seeking justice and righting the wrongs from this period. Of course, history can not happen in exactly the same way and as with any forecast, there are any number of ways the coming year will manifest itself but I would be surprised if there were not a big focus on the events, people and countries involved in the happenings of 2001. The main theme though will be upon justice, truth, and a meaning and a higher plan in the course of our daily lives.

Plutos in Capricorn - Corporate Restructuring

PLUTO'S BANISHMENT


Now that Pluto has lived up to its mythic meaning by being banished to the nether regions of the outer-space, some musings come to mind. This may be presumptuous or forward, but having lived and breathed astrology for so long, it comes as no surprise when you look around at the world. I’d like to jot down what comes to mind regarding what it will mean for astrology, for, as astrologers, it is important that we think through what has taken place because it will be natural for people to ask us what this will mean. Because of that, I’d like to share some thoughts about those issues that pint-sized but feisty Pluto has (or should that be used to have?) influence over.

Pluto was recently downgraded from a planet in our solar system to a member of the Kuiper Belt Objects, something that is enough to send one half of the astrological community – the modernists - into nail-biting, humiliating turmoil and the other half – the traditionalists – into smug fits of laughter and a lot of “I told you so’s”. Taking the modern approach, for this is a modern application of science – to label and categorise rather than letting things be - it strikes me as interesting that Pluto is simultaneously reaching the end of its travels through Sagittarius, the sign of space exploration and bigger thinking. It’s interesting too that Ceres, the mythic Earth Mother, is now in the same astronomical category and so, theoretically, on a par with Pluto – i.e. has actually gained in status by going from Category Asteroid to Category Dwarf Planet, and since these two go hand in hand with the myth of Persephone and the Pomegranate seeds, if we leave dogmatic beliefs aside, this provides great food for thought. The modern proposal may be that perhaps life is less about control and power and more about making the most of what we have, for, like Ceres and her daughter, we experience whoever and whatever for such a short time.

How is the world’s consciousness changing with regard to Pluto and Scorpio-ruled issues of control, sex, death, and other people’s time, money and resources in these astronomically-historic and astrologically-challenging times? Of course, Scorpio still exists as a sign with a ruler, Mars, but signs in themselves only provide a stage for a planet to perform on. It’s the planets themselves that stimulate qualities and energies and make them manifest in our lives on a daily, monthly, yearly basis. So, how are we as astrologers going to handle this sudden change? We only need to look at how we feel about these Plutonian issues in our own lives to get an inkling. For instance, in the larger scheme of things, do we feel there is very little we can do about, for example, political issues, or the raising of children and what they are exposed to in these rapid times? Do we feel sad when we hear stories of gene tampering, food additives, polluted air and water? I think this is where the crux of Pluto’s banishment lies. Perhaps this is what the change in planetary status means. Just as the discovery of planets changed the thinking of the people at the time they were discovered, so the demotion of a planet brings that planet’s qualities to the fore so that change, even though it is happening in reverse, can find a crack in the world’s psyche that will allow new conditions to form simply through being a historic marker that the older generations will witness but which future generations will have no idea of. It’s a sucking in of energy, rather than a breathing out. Perhaps this is why the celestial wheel needs to be seen in a new context which reflects the world as it is today, no matter that the universe will carry on regardless of who says what on Earth. What do I mean by this, well…

Looking back at the transit of Pluto in Sag, we can see the theme of ethics, the truth, beliefs and dogmas woven through the years since 1995. We need only look at world events to see how religion has broken down and taken on new forms. Newly created wealth through property and investments are also Plutonian themes as baby boomers reach milestones that have never been seen before (and look at the hold (read control) that this generation will have over the next as the wealth transfers, or gets spent, or lives on via family trusts). On another level, boomers are less willing to give up workspace, or perhaps they are creating employment through their refusal to retire quietly. In New Zealand, employment is at the lowest it has ever been historically. So, we must ask, where to from here as we slip into what used to be coined the retirement age (another interesting term that correlates to Pluto’s banishment), making way for the new technological generation.

And of the next generation, depth is another Pluto theme that may not accompany the psyches of the I-pod, internet, mobile phone, wireless transmission, email generation – they seem to have it all and so value it less with so much information to take in, with the mounds of data at their finger tips with less and less of a need, or ability, to stick to one subject and investigate it thoroughly (Pluto again). Is this the Plutonian legacy of the information-seeking era of Pluto in Sagittarius? The mutability of Sag could spit out the masters of jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none generations - but, the old school have to accept this since what they do and how they apply it will be important and relevant and timely for them.

And that’s another angle I would approach Pluto’s significance at the moment. Our ability to communicate with people via hidden means decreases the trust and increases the vulnerability of people in relationships since we will never be sure of what someone is up to via text messaging, internet dating, internet voyeurism or emails that can be deleted at the push of a button - gone are the deleted messages and gone are the days when affairs could be detected by anonymous callers hanging up on the phone, or letters being left in a pocket, or a smear of seductive red lipstick on a collar. You don’t even have to go to a bar to meet someone or begin an affair in the office. Nowadays, you can communicate with people who are thousands of miles away, establishing a close relationship with them that is just as much a threat and an act of disloyalty as all of the above. Then there is pornography, which in the old days, consisted of magazines wrapped in brown paper hidden under beds or at the back of the wardrobe. Nowadays, it is everywhere you look, disguised in many forms, but available on tap and in vast quantities as people realise how much money there is to be made. Doesn’t that correlate with the loss of power of a banished Pluto, or the insidious side of a Pluto that we need to watch even more? Surely the sign Scorpio in itself cannot produce this kind of powerful medium, it is only something that a body like Pluto can come up with, with the aid of its cohorts in the Kuiper belt?

The side effects of all those kind of invisible threats are just as great. How do we grapple with living in a state of perpetual threat or suspicion that we no longer know what the people closest to us are doing, nor do we know, just yet, how to deal with the anxiety it produces. Just as there are thousands of asteroids and Evolutionary Intensified Objects (a term coined by American astrologer Philip Sedgwick during a workshop to describe the belt of celestial objects that Pluto has been designated to – see the link on this site to get to his thoughts), there are thousands of people out there that we can connect with at any hour of the day. The barriers of time and distance no longer exist, and yet what we seek is on the fringes and out of sight of our daily living – just like Pluto in the outer reaches of our solar system. Perhaps by suddenly shrinking in stature, Pluto, in true atomic fashion, has gone into disguise, melded and actually intensified the way we experience Plutonian aspects of life. In this respect, the astronomers of our time have done us a great favour because we now need to look at life from a completely different angle or risk losing sight of it all together. As astrologers, we will be less equipped to cope with clients or out of touch with our insights unless we embrace what this whole scenario signifies.

Looking back on the validity of Pluto in Sagittarius, just as relevant is Pluto’s previous transit through Scorpio when AIDs first became known to the general public, or when Pluto travelled through Libra when the balance of equality within relationships was the big issue of the day. Women went out into the workforce in huge numbers. A whole book can be written about Pluto transits through the signs, when whole generations were born, but these are just some examples that spring to mind during writing.

My own experiences of Pluto have been very real with the most recent, and the most memorable, being the Saturn/Pluto opposition of 2001 – an event that astrologers had examined, with great trepidation, long before it approached. In my own life, a t-square formed with my Sun in Virgo and my father died, just one month after the shocking events of 9/11 – how can one ignore such an event, which could be put down to Saturn in the traditional sense, but why did my father die at that point and not at one of the other contacts that Saturn would have had through the years. Pluto, on the other hand will only make one contact with my Sun in my life-time. And is it co-incidence that my father had just experienced the same transit to his Sun?

At the end of the day, with great respect to the scientific world, in my own work, I will continue to use Pluto rather than mourn its downgrading. However, I will use it with greater awareness that something in the collective psyche has changed forever and that our sense of power and control, in the positive context, now needs to be handled in new and better ways. What those ways are will probably be defined when Pluto enters Capricorn in 2008. There will be new rules established according to the new order, and it will be in hindsight that we will see the significance of events now. Change is the only thing that is constant! And that leads to another interesting concept, Pluto is always about transformation! Just because a new label has been put on something does not make it so, what does make it so is the general consciousness and perception of something once it has been identified and catergorised and brought to attention. On that basis, as members of the older generations, we must manipulate and transmute our perceptions as much as we can to keep up and move with the changing consciousness of our times. The younger generations, as they are bombarded with blatant consumerism and high regard for the best cosmetic appearances may need to learn to value the material world in much more evolutionary and worldly ways, for they have so much more to contend with than we ever did. In the end, Pluto has seemingly left us so that we can take power and control over ourselves in another, much more adaptable way.


(c) Tracey Rizvi, August 2006

Jupiter in Scorpio

Jupiter in Scorpio
From October 2005 to November 2006

Synchronous Swimming Event:
Jupiter square Neptune
January, March and September 2006

PAINTING A PICTURE BY CYCLES AND SEASONS: On October 26th (NZT) Jupiter, the largest and most gaseous planet in our solar system transited out of Libra and into Scorpio. Often known for its positive qualities of bestowing good luck, great fortune, travel, learning experiences, and growth on whoever is experiencing its effects, we look forward to Jupiter transits with relish. However, what needs to be kept in mind is that it is the self-sown seeds that are most likely to sprout now and that without a good dose of Saturn’s realism, we would be less in a position to benefit from Jupiter’s magnificent presence; yes, we might be showered by wonderful gifts but what are our coping mechanisms and strategies? Can we keep everything in perspective? Can we contain the growth to manageable levels?

Jupiter takes 12 years to travel around the Sun so given there are 12 signs, Jupiter will spend approximately one year travelling through an individual sign. Each year, the celestial wheel turns, and for 12 months one sun-sign gets to be an honorary Sagittarius, the sign that Jupiter rules. For most of 2006, Scorpio people are slowly but surely given tickets to the fair and get to ride the ferris wheel of life. October marked the commencement of a fresh 12-year cycle for Scorpio folk and by casting your mind back 12 years you might be able to paint a better picture of what will take place now. What began back then that has woven a thread through these years? What parallel experiences can you spot? Having Jupiter transit through your sign means you are given the opportunity to survey the land from a much higher vantage point than you normally would, for Jupiter describes the sweeping vistas and the wider panoramas of our lives.

WHO DOES THIS AFFECT? The effects of any planet in a sign generally influences everyone at the same time because the energy describes the current state of play of the world at any given period; however, those people such as Scorpio sun-signs (born late October and November) will experience Jupiter travelling over their Sun at some point within the above time frame (the earlier you are born in Scorpio, the earlier you will experience Jupiter). Then there is another level of astrology that goes much deeper than column astrology. We all know our sun-signs, but how many of us know that all the other planets are present within our makeup too and that you might not necessarily have to be a Scorpio Sun to enjoy the feeling of altitude that Jupiter brings. But, to determine this, you need to know of an astrologer and hopefully have an accurate birth-time. Failing locating an astrologer in a hurry, you can access a good website like www.astro.com to find out if you have qualifying planets that occupied Scorpio at the time of your birth.

No time, or it’s too complicated? Here’s a very rough way of discovering if at least one other planet, no other than Jupiter itself, was there when you were born. It figures that if Jupiter takes 12 years to go right around the Sun and back that if it is in Scorpio this year, by counting back in 12-year intervals you will almost certainly discover that you do indeed have Jupiter in Scorpio. People born approximately (remembering planets do not observe a strict man-made calendar) during 1994, 1982, 1970, 1958, 1946, 1934, 1922 and a little bit each side of these years will be experiencing what astrologers call their Jupiter Return. The ride then can be even more breathtaking in more ways than one because a whole new 12-year cycle is closing and beginning.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN: In October 2005, Jupiter transited into Scorpio to take up tenancy until late November 2006. Jupiter is travelling through Pluto’s sign and Pluto is travelling through Jupiter’s sign (Sagittarius) making what astrologers call a Mutual Reception. This strengthens the influence of both transits and especially underlines what Pluto is all about - having been in Sagittarius since 1996 - shaping, developing and instigating whatever is taking place now – life does not happen suddenly and world issues have been brewing consciously for the past ten years, obviously a lot longer unconsciously. To understand the significance of the concept of Mutual Reception, think of two countries agreeing to terms they have negotiated that are both satisfactory and of advantage to each country, they then form an alliance pledging to back each other and give support. There may fewer border controls because of agreement, making the flow of trade and travel much easier than relations between tense neighbours. Jupiter and Pluto remain steadfast in their pact and while Jupiter is in Fixed Scorpio and means that we are currently sticking to our guns and artillery no matter what, Pluto in Mutable Sagittarius decrees that life is an ever-changing process during which we must vary our thinking, alter our beliefs, expand our mindsets, and redefine our world-view.

As 2006 gathers pace, the current world headlines are very much about religious hatred and racial bigotry from all quarters of the globe, along with the inability to tolerate, accept or live alongside each other. Since October we have seen the ugly side of this transit manifesting in the hate that is crystallising on the actual streets we live in. Pluto in Sagittarius is a sure sign that the self-destructive tendencies of belief systems that are taking place now are actually issues of power and control (whose God or Prophet is bigger and better than all the others) rather than that of God’s will, and that because of the unconscious motivation behind current issues will turn in on itself leading to a total breakdown and then resurrection of beliefs by the time Pluto transits into conservative Capricorn in 2008. A new order will be in place by then with a radically different set of universal guidelines that will be enforced by God and nature. In the meantime, we must pass through this stormy phase before fear and loathing subsides enough that we can once again be objective and tolerant.

Let’s get personal: Along side the ferris wheel image, there’s a parallel symbology of Jupiter in Scorpio, a Water sign, that is like a huge plug at the bottom of the sea. There’s a thick chain attached to the stopper and now that it’s been discovered as Jupiter weaves its way through the months, we are gradually prising open the trapdoor with as much power as we can muster. What lies beyond the trap-door? We can hardly discover treasure if we avoid looking for it so we will be attracted to discovering what lies further down. As this process grips us with a ferocious intensity - another Scorpio trait - the slush, gunk, flotsam and jetsam that weighs the door down, that has taken years to settle and build up, is disturbed, polluting the water and making it extremely difficult to exist comfortably. Scorpio, being the sign of regeneration, means we first have to cleanse ourselves of the toxic waste before we can discover anything. It gets stirred up so much that we have to get rid of it somehow.

Jupiter in this fathomless sign is all about dipping into the inner well of emotional and imaginative resources. It’s of divining the vast store of knowledge that has built up over the years and of being able reclaim the precious pearls that are borne from our unique experiences and encounters over the course of our lifetime – of course the older we are the more knowledge that is stored. But even so, we can update the files, flinging out what is passed its use-by-date or, in the case of younger generations, learn from what has gone before.

Scorpio is said to be “deep”, while Jupiter expands the qualities of the sign it is transiting, emphasising all the relevant experiences that arise out of this great reservoir of energy. It will magnify what Scorpio means in our personal charts since we all have this sign somewhere. So, what does “deep” and “mysterious” (another keyword for Scorpio) actually mean? Take being a writer for instance, once upon a time in some place we now forget, we heard or read a phrase. Thinking that it was very clever, that whoever uttered it must be witty and intelligent, we recorded that phrase on our inner template. The phrase resonated with that part of us that was receptive to its intent or meaning, the phrase kind of summed up what we were thinking, feeling, doing at that time. We recorded it but never really used it because it disappeared down this plug-hole and we forgot its significance. But where did that clever piece of writing, witticism or work disappear to? Come to think of it where does all that stuff that we’ve ever read, heard, been impressed by, experienced or seen disappear to? Could it be that Jupiter in Scorpio opens up a deep, damp well of knowledge and that we are given access to it during its 12-month tenure in this sign? The exploration of this would be a very positive use of Jupiterian energy.

Scorpio is all about the unplumbed depths of our inner selves, while Jupiter is looking at life through a magnification glass. Look hard enough and open oneself from the bottom up and you should be able to tap into your inner resources bringing them to the surface for use in your daily living. Suddenly that phrase comes to mind, that action becomes a habit, or we see in our mind’s eye a vision of an insightful thought, long after we had forgotten where we experienced it. After all, Scorpio is a Fixed Sign, we have to dig deep to shift the roots to make way for knowledge. Suddenly, after a lot of rehashing, the regeneration happens when the right time and place arises to use it. It’s fresh, it’s original, we thought of it! In this respect, there really is no originality, there is no one thought, feeling or experience that someone, somewhere, sometime hasn’t experienced. We are all part of the mystery that is Scorpio. Let Jupiter in Scorpio bring about an epiphany that gurgles up and completely swamps us so that regeneration can take place. When this occurs, only then can we be passionate about life, have something to live and die for, make our life an experience that we will take with us proudly. Only then will feeling return. Let’s make that experience a great one says Scorpio. Enjoy the surge of power, purpose and passion that makes a great life no matter how big or small the achievement.

Despite the tension in our shoulders, the weakness of our limbs and heaviness of our hearts, we must cling to the sense of hope, as we open the lid of Pandora’s Box that an adventure is at hand, that good times are just around the corner. Jupiter is the planet that opens our eyes, helps us grow, desires experience and welcomes being taught or teaching others. It’s about being mutually receptive to others.

JUPITER SQUARE NEPTUNE – January, March and September 2006: As planets transit they make certain angles to other planets that creates an effect. This is called an aspect. Some aspects are soft and easy, while others are hard and difficult. It’s the difficult aspects that promote the most growth. During January, March and September Jupiter will square Neptune producing a very vague sense that all is not quite what it seems. It will square Saturn again in June, the first square being in December 2005. September will be a particularly significant month because Saturn will also oppose murky, nebulous Neptune creating a polarisation between having our structures undermined while ourselves being too structured to dream and allow imagination and creativity to heal ourselves and then society.

Jupiter with Neptune can be quite a tricky combination because we can be seduced by the glamour, the fun, the free ride, the lucky stroke, the charming newcomer, the great deal or the too-good-to-turn down/or be-true offer. Yes, Jupiter does offer all that and much more, because he IS the planet of opportunity, but he is also the teacher, mentor and guide. He is the jovial benefactor who can be deadly serious when it comes to getting an education, earning our keep, seeing the world, debating the point or gaining wisdom. He likes us to stretch intellectually, spiritually and physically. He will withhold whatever he is “benefacting” if he feels we’re avoiding the inner depths and allowing ourselves to stagnate. We are here to learn the truth about ourselves whether we like it or not. As with the ride on the ferris wheel, Jupiter transits are as much for viewing the layout of our life as they are enjoying the fun and laughter which can quickly turn to tears if we have avoided all responsibility. We can quickly become victims as a result of our own inertia or complacency. As a result, some of us can end up with altitude sickness or agoraphobia as we reach the top of the wheel, since Jupiter’s effects can greatly expand the fears, insecurities, anxieties or inhibitions that we’ve managed to keep in check (see the Saturn Return article for more on that). Suddenly, the laughter turns to terror and we can go weak at the knees as we realise we’ve bitten off more than we can chew or turned a blind eye too often. Our knuckles can turn white as we grip the safety rails, which suddenly seem ridiculously ineffective given how far we have to fall!

Remembering that Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system, it doesn’t always follow that only the biggest, the best and the most beautiful will come our way during this 12-month stint in life’s university. Some of us may have eaten too large a lunch before climbing aboard the wheel and with Jupiter’s side effect being too much of a good thing is bad for you we soon discover where we have over-indulged on life’s gourmet fares. Too much of anything - in this instance associated with Neptune and Scorpio because that’s the town the fair is visiting – sex, drugs, gambling, financial problems, or even game playing and control – can be thrown back at us when the updraft makes the seat sway and rock. We want to shut our eyes for the rest of ride, which now seems to be taking forever. There is no such thing as a free ride, we have to travel on the wheel of life as lightly and as calmly, as ethically and as “educatedly” as we can, we have to earn the smooth ride and expanded viewpoint, it doesn’t come as an add-on or extra – on the wheel, we can feel so afraid, weak or sick that we barely even notice what’s out there, the possibilities or promises.

When Jupiter squares Neptune (January, March and September) and Saturn in June we will experience a strange, quite spooky, effect that is known as reflection. Just like one of those shaving mirrors that have two sides – one side revealing how we like to think we look and then the side that magnifies our open pores, wrinkles, pimples, crooked teeth and hairy top lip - we will encounter people, situations and experiences that reveal our supposedly ugly side and not just in a physical sense. Before we turn the mirror back to normal view, or push those people and situations away in order to avoid what we always suspected, take a good look and learn to love those shadowy flaws. That way, you can avoid having to learn over and over through other people who possess exactly what we dislike about ourselves and attract only the people who are good for us, who support without claiming our power, who open up in a truthful way without conditions.

If Jupiter is a measure for growth on the celestial wheel and Scorpio represents the depths within, or the passion we imbue into our activities, relationships, careers, or the ability to rise like the Phoenix from the ashes to the top of the wheel or to plunder the depths of despair like Persephone, then we might want to examine which side of the up/down we are on. Whatever lies in either direction – bottom or top - is going to be amplified, expanded and exaggerated. If we’ve cultivated, nurtured and harnessed our power over the years then we’re likely to discover that the strength of our convictions, the power of our character and the force of our confidence is genuine and, best of all, sustainable. It will now come naturally, there’s little need to defend or define ourselves to others, least of all to ourselves. But we will jealously guard against intrusion, being undermined or knocked back. Our strength simply emanates from us like the warm and welcome glow of the lighthouse on a stormy, shipwrecking kind of night. There’s little need to steal or smuggle what we need from others like pirates or highwaymen, it’s provided within the two-way, respectful exchange that healthy relationships are based upon. We can leave self-sabotaging terror tactics in the past or at the entrance to the halls of our power, we can embrace success, welcome love, give up harmful habits, support the emotionally needy without taking on their problems, because our well is full, our path is clear, unfettered by guilt, jealousy, resentment, bitterness. This then means we are in a beautiful position to cultivate, nurture and help others to harness their own power without taking it from them.

If we find ourselves suspended on one side of the wheel or the other, neither up nor down, neither too high nor too low, but safely poised like a tightrope walker with his arms out, then at certain points during this transit, like January, March, June and September, we will eventually realise that this is the most precarious position. The graceful stillness of the great wheel, as it patiently holds us, represents our indecision, our fickleness, our fear of failure, our avoidance of commitment, and our lack of faith or belief in anything, or our grip on security. One day we wake up and realize that the all powerful circle of life has degenerated into the treadmill, the rat race, that we have lost touch with our inner treasures and that we’ve allowed ourselves to be robbed by the pirates who lay claim to our soul. We realize, as Jupiter squares Neptune in January, March and September, that we’ve been quietly, subtly seduced by the material offerings of the greedy or the controlling. The wheel has snatched back the power that we reject, ignore or turn a blind eye to. It can throw us high or fling us low. We might want to question our lack of motivation, direction or ambition before we get to this point because riding the wheel with perfectly balanced symmetry means that we are the least likeliest to grow in the character-building sense and the most likeliest to get thrown off balance in the slightest gust. We are not pushing ourselves to delve, dip and discover the mysteries of our emotional life. Without passion to fuel our dreams and desires, we are at loss in the spiritual sense. Tapping into our deep well of inner philosophical wealth without having to watch what others are doing, competing with them, comparing ourselves to them, or blaming them for our own misfortunes, and of watching what we do with our financial and emotional resources is vital around the middle of this transit because what we do, feel, think, invest in or instigate in the first half of the year will determine how the second half of the transit (from the point that Jupiter turns direct on July 7th to November 25th) will pan out. Other people, with their assets, their feelings, their knowledge, their financial reserves or their emotional support or lack of, are the agents of change as our energetic being clashes, collides, colludes, collaborates and compromises with theirs.

Life and death is an hourly, daily, weekly, monthly and yearly process of pushing against the forces of nature from the time we are born to the time we die. All along the way there are little deaths, endings and beginnings as ever so slowly our vitality mellows, softens and finally turns inward until, in the end, the physical body breaks down, the spirit is released and we rise once again from the mystery that our personal beliefs dictate we will return to.

© Tracey Rizvi, February 2006

Forecast for 2001 (9/11)

REACH FOR THE STARS
IN 2001

Mars in Sagittarius
The Idealistic Warrior

If you’ve a special pilgrimage to make, a burning quest or a sacred ideal you’ve only ever dreamed about, 2001 could be the year when you are inspired to hit the road in pursuit of your personal vision. With Mars spending an unusually long time in Sagittarius – February to September – it’s time to get out of the doldrums, stretch, take new risks, and explore bigger and better possibilities. Pluto, also in Sag, co-rules Scorpio with Mars, so with these two gutsy planets in the same sign, we’re really digging deep within ourselves for the philosophical. We’re painting broader strokes and looking to other places and wider territories both within and without. Travel of the mind and body is important to many of us now.

Because of this emphasis in the sign of the Archer – the Seeker - there’s a very expansive, idealistic, though somewhat intense, energy around to help loosen our mind-sets away from the dense, practical, and often materially-driven wavelength that permeated 2000. We’ll shift to a much more fluid, airy, almost religious attitude toward whatever we do, even if this doesn’t involve structured worship. And we’ll have the chance to review our actions between May and July before acting decisively, just to make sure we are on the right track. Slow down and ponder the obstacles during these months.

Globally, March, May, July, October and November could be particularly fervent months for world religions and idealistic causes. Our concerns will turn away from work, mortgages and making ends meet to a more seeking, sometimes quite spiritual, approach. Going way over the top in search of meaning and truth could be a contagious trend. Larger-than-life gurus and leaders will appear to spread their particular word, because acting on ideals is what it is all about now. On another level, corporations and individuals who deal in communications, travel, publishing and the law may also dominate our headlines. But it’s a fickle, outspoken public that has the ultimate say.

For those of us who planted spiritual/idealistic seeds during July and December 2000 when we tuned into our personal faith and belief systems, there’s every chance that some of these visions could turn into oak trees by April 2001. This is when big-thinking, high-minded, generous Jupiter vibrates harmoniously with mystical, psychic, believing Neptune. And if we believe in magic and make-believe, the power of faith will almost be enough to turn a dream or two into reality. However, this is a very subtle energy that can easily be missed unless we are truly believe in ourselves or have placed our utmost faith and hope in the higher realms. By the same token, Pluto asks us to rigorously defend or define our beliefs in our search for the truth in May, July, October and November. Facing harsh facts may be tough-going then, but at least we are sweeping away any illusions.

Jupiter into Cancer
July 2001

Family, living conditions, and our emotional lives become much more important from July 13 through to December and beyond, although we’ll have an inkling of this as early as January. We want a personal touch and old-fashioned values by then. July and December will be potent months when an explosion of passionate feeling will be surface (see Eclipses below). And after a lot of talking, negotiating, exploring and thinking in the first half of the year, we will be ready to express “feelings” in a non-detached way in the second half. The ice melts around our hearts and, like a cosy kitchen on a cold winter’s day, a lovely warm atmosphere begins to emerge. On February 13, 1999, Jupiter crossed into Aries marking the beginning of a 2½-year phase when no outer planets would travel through a Water sign. The outer planets – Jupiter to Pluto – and their signs and angles to each other - represent the social climate we may experience during a given time span. The last time there were no outer planets in any of the Water signs occurred between 1971 to 1973.

Because Water represents feelings, emotions, nurturing and family life, these aspects have been rather distorted of late. We could say that money/work (Earth), technology/globalisation (Air), and idealistic ambitions (Fire) have trampled rather carelessly over our sensitivities - the caring, the empathy, and the compassion that is a natural part of humanity’s makeup (Water). Socially, we are finding that emotions and family life have taken a different path than that of our own upbringing, to which we might look to for guidance, and that domestic life may, at times, be secondary to society’s dictates and trends.

When there is a lack of an Element we must strive harder in our efforts to touch base with what this Element represents. Lack of Water during this period may indicate that much of the time we have swallowed our feelings and instincts, put aside our family values, or ignored our roots and ancestry. In other words, our minds may have become steely (Air), we’ve an over-emphasis on providing material security (Earth), all the while struggling to maintain a belief in something other than man-made concerns (Fire). Hence, we can look forward to enjoying a re-discovery of much simpler emotional instincts, and a time when we can self-nurture and care-give from the heart, connecting with our “yin” needs. This may require shedding tears that cleanse before we truly reconnect.

The Eclipses
Letting it all hang out

And not only is there a reintroduction of Water with Jupiter but also with the signs the Eclipses will teeter between. Eclipses indicate months when both social and personal issues are triggered. Therefore, we may find January, June, July and lastly December 2001 to be important months personally and globally. Eclipses signify turning points and crossroads. For the past 18 months the series of Eclipses has fallen between the signs Leo and Aquarius – Fixed signs that are rather slow to change their ways, they hold on to crumbling structures long after they are due for change. Throughout 2001 they will fall between the sensitive Cancer and ambitious Capricorn polarity - action signs that want and bring about change no matter what. Eclipses act as pressure valves for our emotional states. And while we may have to perform a delicate balancing act during these months with the beauty of life’s unpredictability, they are excellent for washing away the debris that has accumulated. We get to deal with issues that have built up in our lives.

The world may continue to move at breakneck speed, with even more amazing technological advancements and wondrous discoveries on land, under water and in the skies. But in preparation for a return to our true emotional homes in the second half of 2001, our jaded souls are looking, even yearning for, something that holds the promise of passion and a deeper meaning that can be felt wholeheartedly on all levels.

(C) Tracey Rizvi. Article written for Rainbow News Jan 2001
Planet_Report 2006

Uranus In Pisces

From March 2003 to March 2011

On another threshold of change, February 2003 will be an interesting, highly critical and cosmically historical month as Uranus travels through the last degrees of its own sign Aquarius before entering Pisces in early March (11th) where it will remain until 2011. Uranus won’t be back to Aquarius for another 76 years (2079) so we’re climbing over the turnstile of a major transition in both our personal lives and of global consciousness.

Witness the rapid changes that have occurred since 1995 when Uranus entered Aquarius – we have seen major advancements in technology and science and the resultant impact it has had upon our lives – so much information at only the push of a button. We have cell-phones, laptop computers, tablet computers, handheld computers, globalisation and the metaphorical shrinking of the world through high-speed communications. Not only that but science has pushed the boundaries and come closer to perfecting the ability to clone and produce genetically modified food during this time. The younger generation are growing up much faster than we ever did, and appear to take it all in their stride, but to the older folk of the Pisces Age all these advancements are both startling and shocking. We’ve had to make enormous intellectual leaps to keep up with the incredible speed of a constantly changing world. Whether these issues are right or wrong, that is what Uranus and Aquarius is all about!

Increasingly, we will become more familiar with the hidden terrains of our inner maps. Rather than living on automatic pilot we will seek emotional sustenance from our activities and from the information we absorb from the world around us. Our senses will be wide open and extremely receptive. This means that the psychic noise will initially be deafening, that at first we will feel disorientated and highly sensitised, but that we will gradually develop ways and means to personally sift through what we are exposed to. We will need to balance an overwhelming amount of emotion and intellectual overload via practices that encourage us to be grounded and centred. And, as with any change, we may have to pass through a phase of initiation where differences of ideologies and beliefs structures break down – this also applies to those of the same belief systems where clashes between the old and new are evident. We will also become more aware of the “unseen and unknown” and the greater plan of life that is outside the domain of science, defies rational explanation and of which we have little knowledge and therefore control over. Unusual cults and spiritual leaders may emerge who insist they have all the answers but the more questions that are asked the less we realise they know. Since Pisces rules the dubious, some of us will have our illusions shattered during this 7-year timeframe since progressive Uranus breaks up anything that is part its use by date or that is not progressive.

The shadow or unconscious side of Pisces is Virgo - its opposite sign - a discriminating sign that desires wholesome and healthy input. Our psychic antennas, though gullible at first, will also gradually learn to detect insincerity and untruths, and as a consequence we will grow less believing of the propaganda of our times. The down-trodden and less privileged will gain a status of their own, but how inequalities will be balanced remains to be seen. By the same token, what we believe is what shapes our future so it is time for everyone on planet earth – from rich to poor - to take a good look at how subconscious programming determines what lines our lives travel along. We can only be victims of other’s actions for so long and after that we must harness the power of belief in ourselves to regulate what we accomplish or want in life. We are all a product of our own beliefs and it’s time to believe big and grow big on a spiritual level.

Pisces rules water and liquid, so from the oceans to the rivers to the water that comes out of our taps, over the course of the next seven years we will become increasingly conscious of the purity and quality - again Virgo keywords - of this very precious God-given commodity. Marine life and oxygen levels will also be cause for concern along with extremes in weather patterns and the melting polar caps. Sudden events – both natural and human - that shock and astound will constantly draw our attention and dissolve our indifference or laissez-faire attitudes toward our waterways and the creatures that are sustained within them. Saturn in Cancer – also a water sign – for the first 18 months of Uranus’ transit through Pisces suggests that costs associated with water usage or spoilage will skyrocket in a valiant backlash against spiralling destruction. Saturn represents the established structures, along with shortages, while Cancer is protective; in an attempt to preserve what is quickly diminishing, strict controls will be put into place before contamination of our waterways spreads to food chains, which then overstrains the health system. Spoiled water or liquid or technology that filters and distributes water could be one of the major sources of the spread of new, indefinable virii. Pisces is the last sign on the zodiac wheel and therefore contains all the experiences - the joys and the despairs - of the other eleven signs. In this respect, we have reached a critical juncture, a turning point in the natural history of the world where anything is likely. Pisces also relates to drugs and addictions and substance abuse will become of greater concern before it gets better.

© Tracey Rizvi, December 2002, Rainbow News Article
Planet_Report 2006

Sun Signs - Aries

- ARIES –
21 March to 20 April

Ruler: Mars Cardinal-Fire Sign

When we have Aries emphasised in our chart, the world is viewed as a competitive arena that constantly challenges us to exert our energies against others. We are vital, vivacious, charismatic and fresh. Our mode of expression is active, spontaneous, pioneering, optimistic, dynamic and assertive. We seek independence and freedom of expression so we possess an outspoken, direct and spontaneous style. We are full of attitude. Impatient to a fault, our greatest task is to learn patience and restraint. More than anyone else, we need to realise that Rome wasn’t built in a day. We are always in a hurry, charging from one situation to the next, hardly stopping to catch our breath, and for this reason, we rarely finish anything off. Most of the time (unless we have a lot of Earth or Fixed in our charts) we are highly motivated, enthusiastic and fired-up only in the initial stages of a project or until the novelty wanes; and when it does, we restlessly look around for the next mountain to conquer. We are famous for starting things we never finish, for leaving others to pick up or put together after us.

By the same token, we are the fearless leaders who are not afraid of trying something new. We set the pace and break the ice for others to follow. We are ground-breaking, barrier-pushing, risk taking champions. We are heroes in all senses of the word, and if we are the first to initiate, establish or try something, then that’s even better. We often tread where angels fear to go, and if someone hints at competition, we’ll be on our marks and set to go. We thrive on rivalry and pitting ourselves against the odds. We may have many false starts but that’s why we’re known as pioneers. Trial and error may be the only way we learn. We will always look for opportunities to increase our personality power and physical vitality.

Because Aries is a visionary, conceptual sign, we dislike practical details and tedium, and our temperatures rise when the computer crashes, the phone is engaged or we’re at the back of a long queue. We are the drivers who honk our horns in traffic jams while tapping our fingers on the steering wheel as we look at our watch for the hundredth time cursing ourselves for taking that particular route. And when we are not driving fast in our cars we walk hurriedly with our head jutting forward, just like our symbol the Ram. We push our way forward in life butting anything or anyone who blocks our path. We will always take the quick way around, through or under anything; and if the truth be known we probably dreamt up the concept of shortcuts. We might get the job done faster than anyone else but we could also make so many mistakes that we end up on the circuitous route round the mountain.

And when a brighter vision flickers to life on our mind’s screen, we drop everything to pursue it in our excitement. We never look back, only forward. We quickly forget last week’s arrangement or this week’s engagement, and we also overlook the feelings that get hurt or the inconvenience that is caused when we are on our way to greener, brighter pastures. We are not particularly sensitive people, we are always impulsive, and we never like admitting we are wrong. We are proud people to say the least, and because of this we can be accused of selfishness, arrogance and haughtiness. People often see us as bombastic. Our saving grace may be our terrific sense of humour and the promise to make amends.

As children, we were probably tear-aways, never sitting still and always on the go. Our parents had a difficult time indeed keeping up with us. They were probably exhausted by the time we left home, which was probably at an early age. If we are female we were more than likely little tomboys. It was, and still is, important that we have a wide variety of interests available to us, especially those that hint at challenge, danger, excitement or adventure. Tree climbing, football, walking, carpentry sets, skating, rugby, fencing, karate and bike riding suit our energetic, lively natures. And because of an underlying need for inspiration, activities such as dance, art, knitting, athletics, drumming or guitar playing would have been, and probably still are, very satisfactory outlets. We are seldom, if ever accused of laziness and we full of a compulsion to move.

Physically, we are happier when we are active. Sports or hobbies that involve using our bodies or working with metals is complementary to us. Because Aries rules the head, impatience or recklessness can attract injuries to this area. We may also find we often trip up on or bump into things. We may have eyebrows that arch and meet in the middle. It is very important to have a physical outlet for our never-ending energy, otherwise it becomes dammed up and results in irritability and short temper.

We are winners in the game of life. We are idealists in the true sense of the word.

(c) Tracey Rizvi, 2006

Sun Signs - Taurus

- TAURUS -
20 April to 21 May

Ruler: Venus
Fixed-Earth Sign

When we have Taurus strong (Sun, Moon or Rising Sign), structure, stability, practicality and reliability are the cornerstones of our lives. Our mode of self-expression is sensual and sensuous – sight, sound, touch, smell and taste are so important to our aesthetic well-being. For this reason, it is important that we have the right colours and accessories in our homes, offices or work environments, especially if we are prone to moodiness or when we are susceptible to negative energy in our environment. Natural, traditional, classical or olde-worlde is our favoured style, and if we live or work in an artificial environment, we can perk ourselves up with pictures that remind us of the natural world. Beauty and grace should be part of our daily lives. From the scenery from our window to the clothes we put on our bodies to the food we put into our mouths to the music we listen to, we are at the mercy of the sensory world. And we may not realise just how much any or all of these things affect our state of mind.

We are pleasant and easygoing, and perhaps at first glance appear quite placid. We cannot be hurried by our impatient friends and will even dig in our heels when pushed, much to their detriment. This is an admirable trait when we are faced with an issue that requires thought, patience, time and counsel, but sometimes we may need to balance stability with flexibility, for opportunities can pass us by if we take too long. And just like our Libran counterparts who share indecisive Venus as their ruler, we are often stressed if we have too many choices or options, and so the easiest way is no change at all. This can lead to staying in situations that have become outworn and stale. On the other side of the coin, we may be the envy of our less than stable friends who flit in and out of jobs, homes and relationships. We have the staying power and the patience to establish a solid reality for ourselves. We are the realists and the builders of the zodiac and for this reason, real estate and investments that will secure our long term future are important to our practical and security-seeking natures.

Our friends appreciate our stability and dependability, and we can be counted on in times of trouble. When we give our word on something, we will always follow through. The finer material comforts in life appeal to us, and we are eager to share our bounty with others. As a friend, we are relaxed and undemanding. Some may describe us as the "strong, silent type," but in reality we are very sensitive and have deep and strong feelings that we protect with our deep reserve and occasional belligerence.

Out of all the signs of the zodiac, we are most responsive to gentleness and affection. We want our lives to be harmonious and comfortable and may ignore potential problems in the hope that they will vanish. Security is very important to us - both emotionally and physically. Therefore, we tend to throw ourselves into our work and can be very creative. Although we enjoy indulging in the finer things in life, we are also practical with finances. Persistent, once we have set your mind on something, we are not easily side-tracked or discouraged from pursuing our goal. We are known for our staying power and tenacity. And if we don't want to move in a certain direction, no amount of persuasion or urging will change our minds.

When pushed, we become nervous and irritable--and perhaps even physically ill. The best life for us is one of stability and a regular, predictable schedule. We may need to remember to enjoy life and appreciate ourselves no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in. In love relationships, we offer our partner undying loyalty and devotion. Because of our dislike of conflict or of situations that push us out of our comfort zone, we deliberately avoid personal confrontations and, if hurt, simply ignore who or what has caused the problem. We don't usually resort to feelings of hate; rather we become cold, forgiving and resentful.

Physically, we have a broad physical structure. Taurus, which is ruled by Venus, is the sign of beauty. Those of us who have Taurus strong in our charts are often short and stocky (unless there is Gemini or Sagittarius in our chart). Our chin is rounded and we may have dimples. And because the neck and throat come under Venus, we either have a beautiful swan neck or a very strong, determined one. Either way, it is likely to be one of our “sensitive” zones. Our features are usually symmetrical and our eyes round and prominent, we may be quite photogenic. We move slowly and at a regulated pace. Our body language is that of “all the time in the world”. Often we have small ears and teeth and luxurious hair. We like to dress in style and take great pride in our appearance, and again, natural fabrics are better for us than man-made. Jewellery and perfume appeal to our aesthetic sense. Physical weaknesses include problems with the throat such as laryngitis or tonsillitis. We often have a soothing, even quality to our voices (like a radio announcer) and we may even have a talent for singing or speaking. We may need to be careful not to overeat or indulge in too much rich food, a lot of us would be quite happy to spend our days in cafes watching the world pass by (remember the Bull who likes grazing). However we should not be overly concerned with our health as we can worry ourselves sick. Although we are usually healthy and have a strong constitution, we may recover slowly when we do become ill.

(c) Tracey Rizvi, 2006

Sun Signs - Gemini

- GEMINI -
21 May to 22 June
Ruler: Mercury Mutable-Air Sign

When we have Gemini strong (i.e. Sun, Mercury or Ascendant in Gemnini), other people see us as free-spirited and extremely talkative, bright, inventive and witty. Communication is our driving force. Mentally, we are clever and always on the go, and often we have bodies that are just as flexible. As children we were very quick to learn and probably spoke and walked at an earlier age than others in our eagerness to learn and discover. Our elasticated bodies may indicate that later we were wonderful at gymnastics or dancing. As adults we need a multitude of diverse and stimulating interests to keep us alert and interested; if something or someone else catches our attention we will be off in an instant. We are quick to boredom and may need to learn that there can be times when we sit still and do absolutely nothing with our overactive, imaginative minds and wired bodies. We often like to flit around from one place to the other in our daily lives, and we definitely cannot stand being cooped up in the same environment for any length of time. We are the people who stand over the back fence or at the front gate chatting to our neighbours. Often we know our shopkeepers, milkmen and posties by their first names. We are fascinated by people who can impart information on a local level.

On a personal level, we may be particularly creative in our use of words and we respect those who weave a magical spell with theirs. We may possess a fine writing or speaking style that titillates, amuses and entertains others; we can hold people spell-bound for hours. Glossy magazines and catalogues appeal to our fleeting nature just as much as a technical textbook, and if we are absorbed in a good read, we can’t put it down until the last page. Often we have diverse libraries in our homes that are filled with DIY, “How To (fill in the subject) In One Week” books, epic tales and sweeping sagas. If someone wants to know what our interests are all they have to do is scan the titles on our bookshelf. They might not build an accurate picture of us, for we go from one subject to the next in a matter of months, but they will be amazed at how much we seemingly know. We would never discard a book we haven’t looked at in years just in case there’s a time when we are seized with the need to read it again.

We may exert a lot of energy in our spare time gathering information that can then be relayed on to others. We may know lots of bits and pieces about lots of different subjects because trivia and obscure pieces of information have a habit of sticking in our minds like post-it notes; and there’s no doubt that this makes for interesting conversation starters, crosswords or for playing general knowledge games. We may have completed a dozen short courses in our bid to improve our minds but we are in danger of allowing ourselves to become a “Jack or Jill of all trades, master of none” simply because we find it difficult sustaining our interest in any subject for too long. We may need to cultivate depth by sticking to and mastering one particular subject from beginning to end. Repetition and consistency may sound like anathema to our free as a breeze souls but is so very necessary for our growth.

Because we tend to skim the surface, we may tend toward superficial, gossipy talk rather than anything too deep and meaningful. With the duality of Gemini we are suited to a couple of interests at any one time, and indeed we may be multi-dexterous. Variety is the spice of life and because we have short attention spans, having more than one job or interest keeps boredom and restlessness at bay. Being able to switch from one to other when we’ve had enough of the first also helps to keep our continuity going in projects that require concentration, energy and discipline.

Mutable-sign people love variety and change. Travel, or at least changing scenery, is particularly attractive to us. We understand that the only constant quality in life is change. Mercurial, quick, intellectual and communicative, we were born with a silver tongue. Words, ideas and plans spill from our mouths and flow from our pens. We are the people who make lists and more lists. We also love to finish off other people’s sentences. We are most interested in gaining and imparting knowledge, no matter how trivial or complex. If we have a piece of news, we pass it on quickly, and in one respect we make a great reporters, but in another we are not great secret-keepers and our friends and family would do well to keep personal information to themselves. We may fall out with family and friends for this very reason. We are on this earth in the capacity of messenger and most of the time we are totally inspirational with our ability to create wonderful and lively conversations, often embellishing and embroidering the truth. But at other times, this can make us annoyingly talkative if we don’t let others get a word in edge ways. We may have a reputation for being notoriously bad listeners too!

Logical, we don’t pay too much attention to feelings, we are strictly interested in facts. We don’t arrive at conclusions by how we feel about something, rather we tally up the figures, match up the facts. Here, there is a tendency to appear superficial, fickle and too changeable for more down-to-earth types. We don’t tend to settle in one place for too long or hitch up with one particular person for any length of time either, other pastures always look much greener. We are attracted to social gatherings, witty people and stimulating environments, but once the party is over they may not hear from us again till the next time. Our detachment and emotional coolness may be our biggest hurdle to overcome in this lifetime, especially in relationships. Learning to put down roots and cultivate permanence is another.

We have a great need to mix and mingle with lots of different people and as a result we enjoy having visitors or visiting other people. And if we can’t be with people physically, the telephone (or the email) is the next best thing. This addictive piece of modern technology is like an extension of our bodies; we think it is the best thing since sliced bread and our ears may be flattened because of it. Certainly, our phone batteries run flat in the course of a day.

When we are in the mood we can be the life and soul of any gathering, and we often have our finger on the pulse of the “in group”. And even if we aren’t part of this group, we will soon create our own crowd. At the very least, our chatty, easy, breezy style brightens up any gathering, and networking and making contacts is a snap with our sparkling nature. We know how to charm and cajole, but sometimes we can be a little insensitive to other people’s feelings. Our wit and sarcasm can be astounding at times and often we are known for our bantering and bickering. We know how to put people in their places with just the right words; sometimes we can be condescending or even patronising. Being fickle and restless by nature, we may discard friends when we are bored with them, and often they may wonder why they haven’t heard from us in ages, especially after we’ve had such a good time. Out of sight, out of mind may be our unconscious motto and we may need to take care that this doesn’t appear standoffishness or snobbish.

Our secret fears are that we don’t know enough, so sometimes we clam up when we are with people who are our intellectual superiors. We would never like to be thought of as stupid or dull. We are highly imitative of others we admire. Often we take on their thoughts and ideas as if they are our own, we seem to absorb information through audio osmosis. We may learn through copying what others do and then we give it our original touch once we have thoroughly absorbed it. By the same token, slowness which appears as stupidity in others may bring our critical tongue to the fore, we are often impatient with people who take forever to get to the point. We may be known for verbally haranguing others too. But by the same token, this gift for language may indicate a bi-lingual tendency. While travelling we pick up phrases and develop accents during our first week. Because we enjoy stories and reading, as children we loved to hear the childhood stories that our parents have stored up. We are likely to ask many questions because we are so inquisitive. Often we keep diaries and journals of conversations, thoughts and ideas – who knows one day we might need it for that book we’ve always wanted to write.

Our choice in a life partner may be someone who can show us how to take our knowledge to a higher level and who doesn’t in the least mind our flitting, flirting and fly-by night friends. We enjoy the company of philosophical, learned or well-travelled people, and once they have our intellectual attention they are well on the way to capturing our hearts. We respect fine minds and intellectual acumen, even though we are a bundle of contradictions ourselves. We enjoy freedom to express the many sides of our personalities.

Brothers and sisters may play an important part in our lives too, and often there is one in particular who fulfills the role of the missing twin we are forever searching for. If we don’t have siblings, this will be just as big an issue than if we do and often we will choose a best mate or partner who fulfills the role. On this basis, we are capable of having purely platonic relationships with both men and women.

Physically we are likely to tend toward leanness and we have a wiry, taut look. We may have hazel eyes. And, just like Peter Pan, we are still youthful in our later years. Health wise, we can, at times, be highly strung and nervous, and if the mental stress becomes too great, we are prone to hysterics and verbal outbursts. When we are agitated we may gesticulate wildly, swing our legs, click our pens or twirl our hair. Hands, arms, shoulders, lungs and the respiratory system are our vulnerable areas.

(c) Tracey Rizvi, 2006

Sun Signs - Cancer

- CANCER –
22 June to 23 July

Ruler: Moon Cardinal-Water Sign

When we have Cancer strong in our charts (i.e. Sun, Moon or Ascendant in Cancer), we are sentimental, nostalgic and emotional people. We are fiercely attached to our family, home, loved ones and prized possessions; and even if we travel the from one end of the world to the next, home will be where our hearts and origins are. Often we have difficulty letting go of the past as our nature is one of holding on. We possess great tenacity and cannot easily extricate ourselves from situations or people we have invested time and emotion in. We are hoarders in every sense of the word. Our life journey is one of a continual discovery of the emotional world and, for this very reason, we are likely to experience every facet of our feelings during our existence. We are changeable, moody, fretful people who are not beyond sulking and brooding when we are unhappy. We may find it difficult explaining why we feel the way we do and so resort to tears. The only thing consistent about us is that we are different people every two days.

We are mothers to the world, wiping away tears and mopping feverish brows. Whether male or female we take others under our wing, we are caregivers in every sense of the word. Sometimes we can feel unappreciated no matter how much we try to please those we love; and perhaps our greatest lesson in this lifetime is to accept that some people appreciate our caring ways, while others (usually Air or Fire signs) feel smothered by them. We may need to learn that it is easier to do things for others without expecting an equal return, for we may not realise how obligated we make others feel. Our family and home life may be the number one area where this is likely to occur, for it is an area where we are highly reactive, or, our family is highly sensitive toward us. And indeed, if we have experienced hurt with regard to our families we may reject the notion of parenthood as adults. We may harbour a great many insecurities about ourselves and in this respect we may appear to be the “little girl/boy lost”. Our choice of partner is someone who enjoys being “mothered” while at the same time acts as an anchor for our sea of feelings.

We appear to other people as emotionally tough, but inside we are really very soft, sensitive and vulnerable – just like the Crab. As a consequence, we often retreat into our shell, for we feel we need to hide this side of us in order to survive in the cold, harsh world. We may employ subtle means to get our needs met, for often we have a side-on approach to life. We are great home-lovers and makers, we are very family oriented and even if we don’t have our own family, this will be just as much an issue than if we did. We are protective, if not over-protective, of our loved ones. We like nothing better than curling up and enjoying our family and friends in the secure environment we have created. By the same token, because our ruler is the waxing and waning Moon, we are fluctuating and restless by nature. We may have experienced many changes of residence through the course of our lives, but each and every home will have had our homely touch.

We are extremely sensitive and open to others people’s feelings, we soak up good and bad vibes like a sponge. As a result, our mood can change suddenly and without warning when we are in certain types of company – hence we have a reputation for crabbiness. In this respect, we need to learn to distinguish our own feelings from others. We fare better when we avoid people who put an emotional strain on our psychic energies. Often we are highly intuitive and can sense when something is about to happen or when something is not right. Because these sensory perceptions, we generally judge people by our feelings about them. Living by the sea or near water is good for our soul and well-being, and if this is not possible, we should endeavour to visit the seaside or sit by a lake to recharge our emotional batteries.

We have a strong interest in the past, especially that of our families, and we may be the chronicle keepers for our clan. We are also the upholders of tradition and old-fashioned values. Often we have a colourful and interesting ancestry that we talk about all the time. We may enjoy compiling family trees and committing family legends to our memory so that they can be passed on to future generations. Certainly, we enjoy festivities such as Christmas, for this gives us the chance to conjure up childhood magic; and we probably keep a mental log of everyone’s birthdays. Often we are haunted by memories and images that we remember long after everyone else has forgotten, for we have excellent memories. We are also patriotic and proud of our country.

Food lovers, we may have a favourite family recipe that has been handed down from generation to generation. We love to adapt recipes to our own particular tastes. To us, a home is not complete unless we have a bookshelf full of cookery books or compiled list of recipes that we neatly catalogue.

And because Cancer is the sign of food, we may have allergies to drugs or have food intolerances. We may experience digestive disorders when we are upset or angry, and should avoid eating when we are in conflict. Our stomach is our sensitive body part. Physically we may be top-heavy with a roundish face. We may walk as if we are approaching something sideways. We tend toward a comfortable plumpness.

(c) Tracey Rizvi, 2006

Sun Signs - Leo

- LEO –
23 July to 24 August

Ruler: The Sun Fixed-Fire Sign

When we have Leo strongly emphasised in our charts (i.e. Sun, Moon or Ascendant or Mars in Leo), life is always viewed as a grand creative project. It is seen as a stage and we are in the starring role. We are born leaders with our authoritative style, executive abilities and creative approach. We are trend-setters, even though we might not see ourselves as such. The image that we project to others is powerful, confident, warm, sunny, stylish, fiery and enthusiastic. We are generous and magnanimous, especially with our followers, but with our tendency to take charge and take over, we need to remember to leave room for them, to appreciate them a little more. We may not always realise that some people are not as forward or unafraid as we are and sometimes we get so carried away with our own self-importance that we forget others need boosting too. Often we cast partners, parents and peers in the supporting role, and we need a fan club to bolster our self-esteem, pride and self-confidence. Without this support, admiration and love, we are like a lion with a thorn in its paw.

We are dominant and self-promoting, and others might label this as vanity; but we are simply natural show people with a huge creative reservoir and we cannot understand why people would want to hide their assets away. Any chance to display our considerable talents will be taken advantage of. We may unintentionally hog the limelight with our boisterous, fun-loving, slap-on-the-back style. We are loud and bold, bossy and brash, and always flamboyant. We go out of our way to be noticed. As children, we may have been demanding and difficult to understand, and just like the great actors of our time, we may still have storm off in a huff if we aren’t given adequate attention, which we need by the truckload. A Leo child or adult needs to be encouraged, praised and nurtured - constantly. We want to be the center of attention – always. We like to exert our influence over others, but often we lose respect for them quickly if they are not as strong-willed as we are. We enjoy challenge in our relationships, and we expect romance, passion, drama and fireworks. And we simply adore being showered with gifts. We are great gift-givers too, lavishing and spoiling our children, partners and friends. We spare no expense, are high on quality and big on quantity. Only the biggest, the best and the brightest will do.

We take great pride in our appearance and are very sensitive to other people’s appearances. We are dignified and regal, and even if we are not tall, we have this aura about us that makes us seem larger than we are. We often stand out from the crowd as someone of interest and considerable charisma. Our hair may be our crowning glory, certainly it can be our best feature or main concern when we look in the mirror. We toss it, brush it, swish it and adorn it. We often have an air of warm ambience that attracts others to us, even though we like to size people up first. We are easy to be with, put people at their ease, and we are immensely popular when we are sure of ourselves. When we are not, we can be haughty, egocentric, childish, boastful and arrogant. When we suffer an identity crises, we slam doors, throw glasses and drive off with screeching tyres. We make graceful entrances and exaggerated exits.

Because this is the sign of royalty, we enjoy pomp and ceremony, ritual and tradition. Despite all this, we are quite formal in our approach. We would never, for instance, gate crash a party we did not receive an invitation to – we would never risk the humiliation of either being turfed out or the other guests finding out we were never invited in the first place. We definitely hate to be left out. We have pride and self-respect but underneath our “who cares, it sounded boring anyway” attitude we are sure to be hurt and may turn petty and vindictive against the person who has left us of their guest list. We can create drama out of nothing, blowing things out of all proportion. And even if we were innocently overlooked rather than blatantly ignored, we would still be upset. We want to give others the impression we are someone of importance, someone to be respected and we hate to think that we could possibly be insignificant enough to be forgotten.

Generally though our comradeship is highly sought, and we take friendships seriously, for we cannot survive without the faithful. This places us in a vulnerable position and we can be hurt by the more fickle, changeable types. We are a Fixed sign and this means long-lasting, forever-type relationships. We may flirt wildly but we cannot abide vulgarity, commonness or pettiness in others. Bad manners and rudeness are a total turnoff.

In relationships, we feel happiest when we have a partner we can show off and feel so proud of. We like alert, unusual, independent people who have intelligence and wisdom. We often make them feel like a king or queen and, of course, they must treat us in the same way. But socially, we need to be careful of a tendency to relate only to those who make us look good and feel wealthy. We are often attracted to the powerful, the important, the beautiful and the influential. But if we take this too far, this tendency can make us appear stuck-up and snobbish. We may need to look beyond outer appearances. Love goes hand in hand with pride, integrity and respect, therefore, relationships are over once we lose respect for our partner. We are fiercely loyal and committed, with an ability to fight any injustice.

We are extremely loyal and protective of our favourite people and it goes without saying that we make wonderful parents. Children are an issue in our lives, whether or not we have them; and we may find ourselves in their company often. If we are too young or have missed the boat with raising a family of our own, or our chickens have flown the coop, we will seek out nieces, nephews, grandchildren and friends’ children. We relate to them, understand them and can easily adapt to their level. We enjoy their innocence, purity and spirit. We also discover we have a captive audience to dance, sing and act the clown to. We like children because at heart we are children ourselves.

(c) Tracey Rizvi, 2006

Sun Signs - Virgo

- VIRGO –
24 August to 23 September

Ruler: Mercury
Mutable-Earth Sign

When we have Virgo strong in our charts (i.e. Sun, Moon, Mercury or Ascendant) we value neatness, honesty and order above all else. We rigorously practice very high standards of living and conduct, and often we demand the same of everyone we meet. As children we may have been labelled “goody-two-shoes” by our less caring brothers and sisters. We are very good at practical skills and quite handy with tools of all kinds. We are also greatly concerned with hygiene, cleanliness and personal health problems. We are pernickety people to say the least and if someone doesn’t tidy up after themselves, we will moan and groan about it for the rest of the day. We simply cannot work or live in chaotic environments and are probably compulsively tidy. Our motto is “work first, play later”. We are turned off by bad hygiene. Because Virgo rules health, very likely our health is much better than we think it is, and we should either spend less time worrying about it or do something positive if we are in a bad health phase. We know more than any other sign that the physical body is our temple. We may not always look after our bodies like we would our favourite pets, cars or tools, but we often feel very guilty when we use or abuse it. We are very sensitive to junk food, stress and a lack of sleep, and when we get strange allergies in reaction to this, we know the time has arrived to take stock of our lives.

Because Mercury, the ruler of Virgo, says a lot about how we communicate, we are likely to be very precise and clear in what we say or how we write something. We may express ourselves in a flowing torrent of words and often our friends and family are hard pushed to get a word in edgeways. We will follow a logical sequence and place as many details as possible into our explanations. We may find we gain more clarity by putting our thoughts on to paper or talking aloud, and often we may keep a precise and detailed diary that will always be referred to and treasured. And even if we don’t have a diary, our sharp and retentive minds will file away dates, events and people like a computer. Facts, facts and more facts may be our intellectual diet, but we may be in danger of overloading our minds with too many details.

We may also have a sharp tongue that can be supercritical of not only others, but of ourselves too. But we are also very kind and helpful. We may also tend to spend so much time theorising that we don’t actually get around to applying our knowledge practically. Becoming too “bookish” or theoretical means we may not cultivate the breadth of vision that hands-on experience gives us to utilise our knowledge. If we were given encouragement and plenty of opportunity to express our thoughts and opinions and observations as a child then we will have a healthy ability to express our ideas as an adult, we will act on our precise thoughts. But if we were ridiculed or criticised as a child, then we may feel extremely self-conscious about voicing our opinions and will have to work very hard to feel confident in this area – this may keep us as the eternal student looking to perfect our minds and abilities. We feel we never know enough.

On the flipside, Virgo may also give us a quest for purity and perfection, whether of mind, body or action. We won’t undertake something unless we feel we can do the best that we possibly can. We make mental or physical lists, and when we have a new intellectual fascination, we read everything about it that we can get our hands on. Libraries and bookstores may be our favourite haunts along with stationery stores and the plastic container sections in supermarkets. Anywhere or anything that promotes the idea of structure and tidiness gets the thumbs up. This lends itself to developing a fine ability to research something until we know every single detail. Our painstaking diligence, our nitpicking, detail-loving, want-to-know-everything tendency may drive other signs mad, but we can’t rest until we have uncovered every stone, read every chapter. We often have an encyclopedic knowledge. You can see why Virgo’s are often in danger of information overload!

Workaholism is also a great and very real danger to serious Virgo subjects who never like to waste a single spare moment of their lives. Whether we are at our jobs, at home on a lazy weekend or wide-awake in the middle of the night, we will always find something to do, something to worry about. Our minds never rest, and often we are jumpy and nervous as a result! And when we begin to do this to excess we are in danger of burning ourselves out. Finding a balance between work and rest is the best thing we can do for ourselves.

Health wise, Virgo rules the abdomen and intestines. We may suffer in these areas when we are tense and overwrought. Our exacting natures may incline us to worry needlessly and so we can suffer nervous ailments too. Lack of sleep and bad diet affects us very quickly.

(c) Tracey Rizvi, 2006

Sun Signs - Libra

- LIBRA -
23 September to 24 October

Ruler: Venus
Cardinal-Air Sign

When we have Libra strongly emphasised in our charts (i.e. Sun, Moon, Venus or Ascendant), our approach to life is fair and balanced. We are cool, detached, paradoxical and diplomatic. We are team players and net-workers. We are concerned with justice and equality, and we always take the opposite view into account. Because we have a contradictory though complementary nature, we can be compliant yet aggressive, cooperative yet argumentative.

Harmony, balance and peace are important to our well-being and play a large part in our life journey. This is especially so when we have experienced turbulent childhoods, witnessed intense situations, or have been placed in the role of mediator between parents and siblings, bosses and co-workers, children and partners, partners and friends. Our journey through life is not particularly smooth, and it usually has a lot to do with relationships, but our ultimate aim is to establish peace. We are sharing and caring, courteous and conscious. We smooth the wrinkles, weigh up the situation. We desperately want people to get on together and we will use everything in our power to match-make, referee or establish social harmony. We cannot stand it when our favourite people fall out with each other. We cannot stand cold silence, violent atmospheres, brooding resentment, so we learn how to bring people together, to diffuse tense situations. And because we are often piggy-in-the-middle, our experiences qualify us to be universal diplomats, whether for our country, our clan or our company. We are THE Public Relations experts. We are the receptionists, the coordinators, the counselors and the ambassadors. We know how to please, cajole, charm, persuade, manipulate, flirt with and attend to others. And because Libra is the relationship sign, our life is often spent searching for our complementary half or doing things in doubles and couples. We feel safer in a unit, we feel funny alone. Something is missing if we row the boat solo, and we need an arm to link with, a shoulder to cry on. In short, we need others.

We may have a well-developed ability to look at things from all sides of the coin but this can lead to chronic indecision too. Sometimes we are too even-handed and may need to learn to be more assertive, to make definite decisions AND stand by them! People may accuse us of sitting on the fence otherwise. We may spend so long making up our minds that opportunities and chances pass us by and the decision is taken out of our hands. We may spend too much time weighing up the pros and cons, the good and the bad points. We Libran folk can sometimes be a little lazy and hazy when it comes to acting decisively, unless it’s all out war against injustice and then the world had better watch out because we can be very tough when the situation calls for it. Because Aries is the sign on our relationships house, when others become demanding, self-centred or pushy, we have to stand up for ourselves in no uncertain terms. We are unsuspectingly strong and courageous, defensive and defiant. We cannot abide imbalance, too much giving and not enough taking. We always strive to integrate opposites and we always need constant reassurance.

With Venus ruling our outer personality and physical appearance, we take great pleasure in clothes, accessories, makeup and adornments. We like luxury and the feel of rich materials and fabrics. We are sensuous in the sense that things must be appealing to the eye, easy on the ear, pleasant on the nose, delicate to the touch. Colour and coordination has a great impact on us, even if we are not concerned outwardly, and we take great pains to dress ourselves well, enhance our environments and cultivate manners because of this sensitivity. We may start out in life doubting our attractiveness but soon we bloom and glow. Often we cultivate an inner beauty that is indefinable.

Like our sister-sign Virgo, we tend to dislike bad hygiene or ugliness, but warm to beauty and softness. We are sticklers for detail and are fussy to say the least. Art and music, conversation and camaraderie top the list of things that calm us down and make us feel better about the world. We dislike vulgarity and violence, but at times we can be strangely caught up in it, for how else would we learn our balancing act. Our approach to life is fair and level, taking into consideration the thoughts and feelings of others.

We are probably good looking, having fine, sculptured features. We certainly have class and style. However, in later years we may be inclined to put on weight, especially if we have overindulged in those sweet, gooey, delicious foods that we love. The kidneys are Libra’s vulnerable body areas.

(c) Tracey Rizvi, 2006

Sun Signs - Scorpio

- SCORPIO -
24 October to 23 November

Rulers: Mars and Pluto
Fixed-Water Sign

When we have Scorpio strongly emphasised in our charts (i.e. Sun, Moon, Mars or Ascendant in Scorpio), we are intense, complex, capable and determined. And even though our presence is initially felt in a quiet, reserved way, people definitely know we are there because we have such a strong energy emanating from us. People can almost touch our aura and they sense our arrival long before our physical body gets there. We extend ourselves psychically with ease. We don’t have to say anything to get the message across. A look, a gesture, a curl of the lip says it all. The saying “still waters run deep” is particularly descriptive of us.

It takes a lot to get to know us, for we never reveal ourselves in an instant, but once we like someone or something, we remain loyal and attached to them. Possessive and obsessive are two more keywords that sum up our style. Learning to trust people could be our greatest lesson though. We have experienced many situations that have taken away this trust. We are the most likeliest to stand at the crossroads, be at a turning point, or starting over for the hundredth time, than any other sign. Our life journey is one of continual crises and catastrophe but it is also one of ultimate transformation. Death and rebirth are the agents of change.

We Scorpio folk are not generally known for taking things at face value or for being frivolous and undiscriminating. When we undertake anything, it is with deadly seriousness, and often we throw ourselves in at the deep end and stay there until we have learned to swim. We have the intensity of the angry sea, we can be relentless and unyielding, destructive and devastating. Yet we can be as calm and collected, serene and still as the waters that gently lap the shore on a beautiful day. The intensity of our emotions and the strength of our minds are so powerful that we can manifest just about anything in our lives, whether positive and negative. We are in tune with cycles but if we work against the tide we can unleash forces that quickly grow out of control. We can heal and hurt, destroy or develop. We must take care with our thoughts.

Because of our probing, suspicious natures, we tend to peer into people’s souls. We are the psychologists, the therapists, detectives, the finders and keepers of secrets. And with our inner knowledge and higher knowing, we have the ability to destroy or uplift. We are the power behind the throne. We know the ropes and will pull all the strings.

People see us as enigmatic and mysterious simply because we do not always open up to them immediately. This holding back creates curiosity and interest in our activities that we would otherwise prefer to keep hidden. We are intensely private people. We have such great depth to our personality, but because we have so much to unravel about ourselves, these depths and our true personality will only emerge through time, experience and periodic crises. As children, our extreme sensitivity to undercurrents, unspoken words and unexpressed feelings would have been more obvious; but as we grow older and wiser, we learn to shroud our vulnerabilities with a tough layer of impenetrability. It is very important that we don’t bury our true self so deeply that we become out of touch with our inner needs. We may need to learn to come to terms with the pain we may have felt as a child if there were many emotional ups and downs. We may need to stop covering it up and allowing it to stunt our emotional and spiritual growth in adult life. We may need to peel back the years of conditioning in our formative years so that we can find what WE truly believe in. We may need to curb self-destructive behaviour and learn what really motivates us. Jealousy, resentment, vindictiveness, vengeance and poisonous thoughts may have their origins in childhood but they must be released with age.

We are extremely intuitive people, however, and we are quick to see people for who and what they really are. We are psychic and sensory. We can make people feel extremely good about themselves or, if the mood strikes us, extremely bad. However, if we manipulate this talent to our advantage by mirroring back only certain points, we will not be building relationships on truth and acceptance. Instead, we may enjoy our power over others for all the wrong reasons and we must take care that this does not backfire. Our subtle style can be that of “getting back” and we may develop a stinging reputation for ourselves. And that’s another thing, we may remember misdeeds that others have done to us long after they’ve forgotten all about them! Harming only ourselves. Letting go of the past may be the greatest gift we can give to ourselves, for then we will truly be free and unfettered.

We have a tendency to “screen” people before we let them come too close. We are often paranoid and touchy. We have it within our means to make people feel highly uncomfortable when we are not taken with them. We are very witty though when we are in the mood, and we have an insightful and penetrating mind that makes people double check everything before they act or say anything. We are compulsive and strong-willed, but most importantly we are catalysts for and harbingers of change.

Our vulnerable body area is the eliminative and reproductive system.

(c) Tracey Rizvi, 2006