April 2011

As the sun sets on the closing cosmic chapter that was Uranus in Pisces and Neptune in Aquarius, a new era emerges so quickly and unexpectedly. With Mercury retrograde in April, it's time to catch your breath and allow Neptune's arrival in Pisces to soothe the soul. Take the middle, balanced road that is Saturn - be mindful and alert while remaining calm in extreme situations.

PLANET REPORT: Another cracker of a month that continues with the high-energy theme we have been experiencing since the end of 2010. With Uranus now in Aries and Neptune shifting into Pisces on the 5th, we must keep in mind that we are entering a new chapter in the history books and that even though we are enduring extreme birthing pains, life will settle down after June. And despite the pain that some people will experience, trusting in life requires a huge leap of faith and nerves of steel. There is no doubt that events will be highly stressful for some and that all we can do is support them as best we can but as we pass through events and obstacles there will emerge a greater sense of the future and what all these changes mean both personally and globally. We can look forward to a new set of values and the need to alter our outlook and the ways we have become accustomed to so that a new order can take hold from which will arise a greater sense of purpose. Preparation, flexibility and adjusting to the speed at which we are all travelling at are the best ways to handle the unexpected deliveries of news, views and events each day. It all starts with Mars not only in his own sign Aries from April 2nd-May 11th as well as a push-pull New Moon in Aries on the 4th but also an electrifying, sizzling union of Mars with newly-arrived but totally extreme Uranus in Aries from April 2nd-5th. Uranus is always revolutionary and unpredictable while Mars is the engine that drives the train to new destinations. Because Mars’ cycle takes two years, this suggests that new frontiers can be eventually be forged out of the chaos. Amidst the tragedy there is also a palpable excitement that we need to grab hold of to avoid being overwhelmed on a personal level. Once Mars leaves unruly Uranus he then meets Saturn in a tension filled opposition. Saturn is the only planet representing law and order and the face of humanity at the moment and he is definitely struggling against the odds in Libra to keep this balance. Between the 11th and 19th we will see evidence of this when the brakes are jammed on. Saturn in Libra is the face of people helping people to restore the foundations of lives that have been overturned and we can see that this is a difficult but ultimately rewarding task. The Full Moon in Libra on the 18th helps bring closure of events that began six months ago and underlines the value of relating to others. The month ends with Mars conjoining Jupiter between the 29th-3rd May. This aspect may act as the lift-off point of our journeys if we are prepared to move on, or an expansion of already existing situations. It all depends on what luggage we are carrying and how much we are prepared to off-load or hold on to. And, last but not least, while our eyes are peeled on global events, Mercury retrograde reminds us to keep an eye on the smaller details. We may be in such a rush to move on or get out of difficulties before we are ready, that we forget to read the fine print, double-check travel arrangements or become involved in new situations without being aware of the full implications.

ARIES: Your birthday year is sure to be full of exciting adventures with your
ruler Mars now blasting through your sign. The tempo, stakes and optimism are
raised now that two new cycles begin in your sign. The beginning of the month
starts with a bang when Mars catches up to revolutionary Uranus bringing a quick
succession of events that will be hard to keep up with. This is a time to take
risks but take a reality check between the 17th and 19th when Saturn creates
speed bumps and obstacles in the form of someone who urges you to slow down and
consider personal changes carefully. The Full Moon of the 14th will underline
this even further but after this you will have a greater sense of balance in
your perception of others. Communication is the key as is leaving major
decisions until after the 23rd, which is another key date. From the 29th you
have a choice of adventures and dreams to follow. Go for it!

TAURUS: Whatever is happening behind the scenes is the focus of your chart in
April. With Mercury travelling backwards through this area, the past, your inner
life, health and spiritual wellbeing takes centre-stage. In June, a
grand new 12-year cycle begins that will help you overhaul your image, looks,
direction in life and your general attitude. This means that as your birthday
month draws near, April is a great month to clean out the closets and get rid of
the stuff that is no longer of use. Less baggage means a better start to the
12-month journey of Jupiter through your sign. Jupiter will be here until June
2012 and is full of the promise of stability and fertile growth. Whether it's
travel, education, a whole new philosophical outlook or a brand new image, you
are about to enter into a much more prosperous cycle that can only take off if
you have dealt with the issues that arise in April. Key dates this month are
2nd-5th, 11th-13th, 17th-19th and 29th-1st May.

GEMINI: Your ruler Mercury is steaming backwards through Aries highlighting all
the bigger change that is occurring both personally and globally. Interesting
developments almost always occur when the planet of commerce and communication
does a U-turn. This month, so that you don't miss the important details that
could unravel further down the track, you need to ease your foot off the
accelerator. Pull over into a slower lane when it comes to friends or the groups
and teams that you are involved with. There is a great shift happening in this
area that will alter your perception of people in exciting ways. Some may show
you how anything is possible, while others may be too radical with their views or
intentions. The New Moon of the 4th will highlight this while the Full Moon of
the 18th will help you find a counter-balance between your social and romantic
life or where your responsibilities lie with a child or children. Of course, you
may also have aspirations that are in direct opposition with these
responsibilities. Neptune now sits at the top of your chart, so a sea-change in
your life direction, a parent or your public persona is now at hand.

CANCER: There is a lot of activity surrounding your sign that may push you out
of your comfort zone in April. Events and people pop up in rapid succession this
month and it won't be plain sailing but what you discover or experiment with
will open your mind up to the new possibilities that are forming with the fresh
era that we have all entered into. The New Moon of the 4th brings an intense
feeling of optimism but there are still obstacles from the domestic quarter of
your life that need resolving. You know that the sky is the limit but until
these familiar issues are dealt with, there will be a feeling of driving with
the brakes still on. Balance is the key. Mercury is retrograde this month and
this is always a good time to take stock, especially on a professional level.
The devil is in the details and the powers that be in your trade, profession or
public life will be active and very real. From the 23rd, anything is possible
and you will enter into May feeling much more optimistic about the future if you
have off-loaded unwanted baggage.

LEO: You are one of only two signs that can actually enjoy some of the hair-raising changes that the world is going through! Caution is always advised in high-tension times, but generally April is a huge month in terms of travel and educational activities. You could find yourself in the thick of things anywhere, anytime. The rock that people turn to, you have the breadth of vision to aid and assist. At the same time, even if you are living an ordinary life, you may find that you are suddenly awakened to possibilities that lie far beyond your usual boundaries. If you are travelling long distances, at home or abroad, be sure to triple check all your arrangements or to have alternative plans up your sleeve just in case things turn a little chaotic. And even though you might find yourself in a strange place at a strange time, the switched on people, the culture, or the atmosphere will make this location exciting. For stay-at-home Lions, there is still the same thirst to learn or expand your mind that on-the-move Lions will experience, and you might be inexplicably drawn to out-of-the-ordinary studies or beliefs.

VIRGO: With Mercury travelling backward through your other people’s money zone, this could be a nail-biting time if you are restructuring, settling or making claims, loans or working on joint property, tax or insurance issues since there are so many wild cards to contend with. Life in this area is highly-volatile but handled with kid gloves could produce some opportunistic gems. Money matters go through an explosive start as April opens with exciting developments kicking the month off. Leave off counting your chickens though until after Mars opposes Saturn, who will want the accounts to balance exactly. Because of the intense scrutiny mid-month, preparation is the key to making the most of the hidden opportunities or for approaching others for loans or favours. By month’s end, if everything is done with caution, practicality and honesty, the world could be your oyster. Watch the fine print and be accountable for everything.

LIBRA: If you could pick a month to stay in bed for an entire 30 days, this would be it! Being on the opposite side of the sky from the explosive line-up in Aries, Librans are going to have to approach life with a Zen-like attitude. Saturn in your sign is currently the only sane planet in the sky during April so stick to the rules and structures that you know best. Other people are the wild cards in your existence right now but trying to make head or tail of their needs, wants, thoughts or ideas will be like trying to find a light switch in the dark. You can make a difference though by remaining level-headed and rational at all times (yes! that could be difficult). The 17-19th is when the brakes go on in situations that threaten to get out of hand. Just when others are charging ahead without a plan, obstacles will slow the speed at which events and dilemmas could escalate so this could be a blessing in disguise. Being mid-way through your solar year, the Full Moon of the 18th suggests doing a mini stock take of the last six months. By the end of the month, communications get a lot easier.

SCORPIO: If you’ve got work projects that require rocket propulsion or a unique flash of insight to get started or finished, April is the month to plough through as much as you can on existing tasks. This applies to jobs that have already been planned for rather than those that are brand new but this can a great time to make rough outlines on paper for future use. It’s a busy, busy month on a daily level and you may find that what you set out to do in the morning flies completely out the window by lunch. Try to prioritise so that if you get side-tracked by the unexpected the important jobs have been taken care of. The area of your chart that rules pets, your health and the general maintenance of your life is brightly lit up with some very active planets including your ruler Mars. High-energy, there’s a tendency toward impatience and frustration when Mercury throws red herrings across your path but you could be grateful for the delays that prevent you from moving ahead prematurely.

SAGITTARIUS: With Neptune moving to the lowest point in your chart, the area that rules your home and family is about to enter into a sea-change that will be that much softer than the sudden changes and unpredictability that Uranus has brought over the past seven years. A flood of feelings will begin to emerge in this area that makes it possible to relate to others on a much more spiritual level. Having said that, your romantic and creative life is about to move up a notch or two during April and you will actively pursue exciting avenues of self-expression, whether it’s a hobby, social event or a passionate meeting with someone new. The internet or technology could play an important part in what you are doing now. There could also be exciting new developments with a child who suddenly excels in leaps and bounds, or you may strike a breakthrough in a situation that has been stuck for some time. For others, there may be news of a birth, pregnancy or adoption.

CAPRICORN: Like Aries, Cancer and Libra, the planets seems to be conspiring to make your life unusually active and exciting. From all directions, you are face-to-face with important decisions, events and people who can change the layout of your life permanently. In April, your domestic life will be highlighted in so many ways. For some, it will be living arrangements that will go through a rearrangement with the addition or subtraction of a family member, flatmate or visitor; while for others, renovations, a shift or some other situation will disrupt the flow of routine while this change-over occurs. From the 17th-19th, your ruler Saturn coupled with a Full Moon will bring your life direction into clear focus and this is a good time to take a reality check on where you would really like to be in a few years time. If you can hold off making firm decisions about home or profession until after the 23rd, you will be in a position to make the correct choice.

AQUARIUS: Travel could be on the agenda this month but it is likely to be for business or relationship issues rather than for pleasure. It all starts from the 3rd and culminates around the Full Moon of the 18th, which highlights distant places. For others, your knowledge base and worldly experience comes to the fore and there is certainly a huge amount of planetary energy in your zone of thinking, writing and communicating throughout April. This is an unusual cluster of planets so if you’ve got reports, letters or even a book to write, this is the month to put pen to paper. Because Mercury, the planet that rules communications is off air until the 23rd, try to wait until after that date before processing this information or sending it off to your recipient. While life is thrilling in many ways, there are also hidden details that will emerge as the month wears on and you will want to wait for this knowledge to emerge before signing off the final copy.

PISCES: There is a major sea-change for all Pisceans this month! Neptune, your modern ruler, will enter Pisces for the first time in 172 years! That’s right, we’ve never experienced this outer planet transit in our lifetime and hopefully this transit will arrive just when we need a little spirituality the most. Those of you who are born in the very early days of Pisces will experience the soothing waters of this mystical planet in a much more heightened way and you may feel the urge to retreat into an emotional, spiritual way of living. Remaining here until 2026, each of you will gradually experience Neptune during the course of the next 15 years. In April though, the focus is squarely on your financial life where sudden and quite exciting changes are happening that can’t always be planned for. Sudden changes could be disruptive but they will also free you up to earn money how and when you like.

March 2011

PLANET REPORT: As we enter March, life seems very strange, quixotic, distorted and new after the earth-shattering, revolution-inducing cosmic events of February. With no let-up in sight, a new cosmic order begins on March 12th when Uranus joins Jupiter in bold, adventurous Aries for a seven year stay. There is also a palpable tension rising all month as Mars heads toward a spectacular conjunction with Uranus in Mars’ own sign, Aries on April 4th. And just like the flexible new foundations, structures, rules and regulations that will rebuild cities and cultures, we need to flow with the change and build personal foundations that can withstand the jarring - and sometimes abrupt way – our new perspective will be formed in the coming months. The fiery vision of Aries will heat the dying emotional waters of Uranus in Pisces and transform feelings into actions through flashes of inspiration to create a fresh future in the coming seven years. Ideas and mental energy abound on the 9th when Mercury joins Uranus and then Jupiter on the 15th while intense intellectual fervour occurs on the 13th - try not to hold on too tightly to the need to control in this wild times. The heightened lunar activity that the year began with means we need to be armed and prepared right up until June 2011, especially around the New and Full Moons each month. And while our teeth may rattle and our knuckles turn white, it’s a ride that will twist and turn around corners we never dreamed existed. From June 5th, Jupiter will give us practical gifts to work with and from this will emerge patience and stability. In March, circle the 12th, when not only does Uranus transit into Aries but Mars locks into the New Moon pattern that occurred on the 5th. Also highlight the Full Moon of the 20th which is a karmically-loaded lunation that relates back to last September’s New Moon - one day later, the Sun conjoins Uranus. Following new goals and aiming for something outside of our usual comfort zones is the best way to accommodate the shifting landscape. Being thrown together with people who are “good” for us or taken to places where destiny happens, is the signature line of this pattern. By March 31st, Mercury will be retrograde. This means that from as early as March 17th, we need to sign and seal major life changes or avoid beginning anything that is not already in the making until after April 23rd, when Mercury resumes normal direction. Adding to the melting pot that is Uranus, Jupiter, the Sun, and then Mars from April 2nd, Mercury’s to-ing and fro-ing in hot-headed Aries, means that this is unlikely to be a passive time of review but more of a push and a shove to take a second look at decisions, choices, projects and setups. The Autumn Equinox – which marks the tone of each season or quarter - occurs when the Sun travels into Aries on the 21st at 12:22pm. Two planets on the critical first degree of a sign, and especially on the Aries’ first degree, means that once again revolutionary, shattering Uranus will bring lightening-quick events, people and situations. Stressful to say the least, but, ultimately, this energy will loosen and free up the old patterns of relating, mating and creating.

ARIES: Your sign has a very busy year coming up once the Sun slam-dunks into Aries on the 21st. For many of you - but especially those born on the 21st, 22nd and 23rd March - Jupiter is already paving the way for the brave new world that Uranus will surely usher in. This is a generational shift when a new crop of people and events come into being and for those who have early birthdays, you may be part of this change directly. Your personal identity is up for a whole new look, image or attitude, and you will be a magnet for, or be totally drawn to anything that is outside the square and can revitalise and renew your outlook and experiences. By the end of March and into April, try to slam the brakes on and backup a little. Events are happening a little too quickly just when you need to reassess keep an eye on the details. Yes, you are biting at the bit, but act in haste, repent at leisure applies from March 17th

TAURUS: From March 12th, you will shift from an outer friend/group/network-type focus to a bigger inner life of exploration, retreat, healing and an interest in the spiritual, emotional side of your existence. So much has changed in the past seven years with Uranus moving through the social zone of your chart but now you can begin to look back and see that a line is slowly but surely being drawn in the sand that will separate “them” from “you”. This new holistic frontier appeared for a short time last June and July but then mysteriously disappeared, allowing you time to say a proper goodbye to your social set, or a set of aspirations, ideals, hopes and dreams. From March 12th, after this one last encore, you step behind the curtain for good to rebuild a much more therapeutic setting for the amazing inner changes that will form over the next 7 years. Take the time between March 27th and April 21st to make the transition and weigh up all options.

GEMINI: You’ll be glad to hear that the roller-coaster ride that Uranus has bolted you along in your career zone since 2003 is about to pass into the history books. It all tentatively began last June and July, when new faces appeared or events that altered old friendships occurred, and after this glimpse, on March 12th this very social, group-oriented phase begins properly. This is a process of breaking up the existing patterns of forging friendships and meeting people of similar, but also very different, aspirations. Suddenly you wake up with different goals and dreams and this causes you to look at people in a completely new light. Alternatively, the people around you may go through a period of rapid change and this spills over into your life. Mercury turns retrograde at month’s end so from the 17th, you enter into a peculiar phase where life shrinks and expands at the same time. Despite the feeling of urgency, take your time. Late in April, the lights turn green.

CANCER: If you have a Gemini around you, ask them about their career and professional life over the past seven years. This might give you some idea of the great changes that you are about to enter into. If you are born in the first three days of your sign, you are likely to already be experiencing an urgent sense of needing to break the mould and experiment with something new. Others may feel that change is being forced upon you and though the stress is great, in the long run, you will eventually soak up the feeling of freedom to completely change your direction in life. The building work continues in your home and family sector, whether it’s with your house, the landlord or your tenant, because this will be the base that keeps you grounded while the gyrometer swings wildly in your life direction zone. Secure your foundations as best you can while looking forward to a brave new future.

LEO: The world is your oyster from March 12th, when Uranus joins itchy-footed Jupiter already in your zone of learning, travel, beliefs and publishing. Your thinking and beliefs are about to be exposed to totally new concepts that open up many ideas, experiences and cultural diversities. From the Bible to Baghdad, the diversity on offer in the coming months is going to extend all the way to 2019 and the urge starts right now. But! Because Mercury turns to backward motion on the 31st, from the 17th you should really take a step back from packing bags or enrolling in courses until all the variables assemble themselves into some kind of crazy pattern. This will save you plunging headlong into something that appears exciting and just what you need but may not really be what you want in the long run. If tickets are already booked, then prepare yourself for a journey of a lifetime where anything can happen. Double check everything, especially around the end of the month. By late April, it will be all systems go!

VIRGO: A rush-rush month when the peculiarities of other people steps up a notch or two before the hot and cold atmosphere of the past 7 years in relationships settles back into a regular rhythm. From March 12th, Uranus moves into your zone of property, cash, settlements and finances where a diverse range of experiences will change your thinking about money forever. Of course, this involves other people or organizations such as banks or insurances and what you will experience will require a huge leap in your knowledge base. Anything can, and probably will, happen, and quickly! Start preparing for a future that will be radically different. At the same time, you need to keep in mind the rebuilding that has already started in the way you earn money and that earnings need to keep in line with expenditure. If you can get this formula right, you can make amazing profits or investments with the coming opportunities. The Full Moon of the 20th will bring a brush with fate but with Mercury, your ruler, going off air on the 31st, you need to step back and take stock of what you are getting involved with financially.

LIBRA: Life is big right now. So big, we cannot keep up with the rapid changes that will continue to bombard us all for a few more months yet. For Librans, (along with Aries, Cancerians and Capricorns) you are already going through your own personal scaling down, and just when you had given up the ghost, along come people and relationships – from romance to partnerships to friendships- that tip your view to the opposite end of the scale. This person or person may have appeared last June or July and has been coming and going, blowing hot and then cold, until January when their orbit came closer to yours. Accepting diversity is the deciding factor in this crazy liaison as well as the issue of freedom – either yours or theirs. Take it slowly despite the feeling that you need to make a decision. There are so many more variables to come to light that you would be wise to avoid commitment until late April. Take note of what happens around the 20th.

SCORPIO: If you have a child who has been up and then down and then back up again, or a love life, that has been crazy, erratic but extremely stimulating, then you will be glad to know that all the unpredictability of the last seven years is about to become at lot more settled. With Uranus moving out of this zone and joining Jupiter in your work and health sphere, this area of your life will soon go through a major revolution. Up-skilling, finding hours that free you from the 9-5 shackles, taking up new technologies, or simply forging a completely new health regime is what is in store in the coming months and years. Mind, body or spirit, it’s time for a change for the better, especially if you had a preview last June or July of what could happen if you allow things to continue on in the same old way. Uranus is all about inventing a new role for yourself, whether at the gym or in the workplace – now is the time to kick it all off. Having said that, there are snarls up ahead where insights flow thick and fast so wait until late April to dive into the next era.

SAGITTARIUS: Since 2003, your home life has been as vague and as unpredictable as the weather is in spring but from March 12th, chaotic, quixotic Uranus moves out of this area for good. And while it will take a while to steer a straight course, the world of children, fun, creativity and romance comes alive in an extremely unique way. Whether you are a parent with a child, about to have a child or you are looking after other people’s children, there are some amazing times ahead with opportunities to enter into competitions, travel or achieve a sporting award. Some may even adopt or meld your own family into someone else’s. Romantically, you don’t get any more exciting than this! Single or married, the next few months are like that old jingle about gingernut biscuits, or an extra hot curry….so spicy! For others yet, there are some astounding opportunities to invest in something that is so far off your radar, you would never have thought it possible. The only glitch is waiting until late in April to seal any commitments of time, energy or money. By then, the facts and variables should be plain to see.

CAPRICORN: With a whole heap of planets at the nadir of your chart, and most particularly Uranus’ shattering arrival on the 12th, your home, domestic and family life is about to enter into a revolution. From rebellious children to wayward parents to eccentric visitors or flatmates or landlords, you will never know what or who is going to land on your doorstep next. Find a Sagittarian and ask them relentlessly what has occurred in their home life since 2003 and you will get an idea of the phase you are about to enter into. Go with the flow dear Capricorn because hidden amongst the chaos is a beautiful opportunity to free your life up in ways you never dreamed possible a few years or even months back. Expansion is the key as is breaking up old patterns so that your life is that much more authentic. Late April is when you can pass Go and truly put your heart, soul, signature or endorsement on the dotted line.

AQUARIUS: Say goodbye to wayward finances that go up and down like a bad day on the stock-market and welcome a unique way of approaching life on an intellectual level. If you are a writer, or have always wanted to write, or be a mouthpiece for the masses, your mind is as wide open to unique, out-of-the-box ideas as it ever will be. Jupiter has already been expanding your thoughts and communication style since late January but from March 12th, Uranus carries them beyond the ordinary and into society. For others, there may be unique situations to think about each day and this could range from your local neighbourhood to a brother or sister who is involved in something that is extreme but exciting. Others may find opportunity comes via technology such as the internet. You may doubt that this is possible in the closing days of the month but the roadblocks then are simply a test of your ideas. Venus in your sign from the 2nd helps you immensely.

PISCES: With Uranus about to chuff off out of your sign after carving an erratic but immensely satisfying path since 2003, you are about to leave behind a once-in-a-lifetime era that has seen you establish your identity in a unique but authentic way. From March 12th, the focus shifts to your financial life – the way you earn, save and invest money – and with Jupiter already in this area, you will now begin to see equally unique ways to attract cash and put it to use. Saturn has been working hard in the area on the other side of your chart that involves other people and your joint interests i.e. mortgages, loans, credit cards, insurance etc since late 2009. And while this has restrained you somewhat, or at the very least made you extremely aware of your responsibilities from their point of view, you now have the opportunity to invest in yourself and what you truly value in life.

February 2011

PLANET REPORT: A fast-paced, action-packed, Mars driven month. Events move along quickly as the Sun, Moon and Mercury connect with Mars on the 7th and 20th. The tempo is upbeat on the intellectual playing field but there is also chance of hotheadedness and clashes of wills. If ever there were a time when our ideas and concepts need a good shake out, it’s now. For some, this will be achieved by butting up against other people’s views, opinions, beliefs or hypothesis in search of understanding and clarification. For others, ideas are shared, discussed and fine-tuned making this a highly constructive time with like-minded individuals who rally together for a common cause. We each live within our own perspective and impressions, and often we take this for granted until we come across other viewpoints. February is an extremely diverse month and is great for jumping outside the square either because unexpected challenges push us to look more closely at exactly where our outlook on life fits in with others, or, on an inner level because we feel restless and want to look in new directions. Welcome challenges but try to pause before reacting as this will pave a much sweeter path for good communication; and we may even learn something from people who appear radical or defensive but in many ways more like us than we realise. Promises can stick on Valentine’s Day, which is likely to be laced with practical reasoning than romantically inclined gestures. With Neptune putting an oar in on the Full Moon on the 18th (9:37pm), keep to a framework, stick to facts and use logical reasoning. Blurred and woolly thinking, or cover-ups and deceptive actions have the potential to come undone by mid-month. It will be extremely interesting to see what surfaces in the political and media circles where heated debates and confrontations could erupt. The cool New Moon in Aquarius on the 3rd at 3:32pm is fired up by Mars - who is anything but cool in the face of obstruction - and this energy will carry right through to the smoke and mirrors of the Full Moon on the 18th! Pushing, debating, and then pushing some more may prove irritating, exhausting but also irresistible, leading, in some extreme cases, to disputes and conflicts, breakthroughs and revolutions in others. From the 23rd Mars will transit into Pisces melting the intellectual atmosphere into an emotional but turbulent sea. Jupiter and Pluto reach their second meeting on the 25th; the first was in August 2010 and this will be the last, thankfully, because the philosophical fervour and financial implications will add to the already fiery dynamics of Mars.

ARIES: This can be a positive, upbeat month where the people you associate with on a social, networking, digital or club level can open doors, make introductions, share ideas, concepts and values, or be extremely interesting to be around. With Jupiter now in your sign (until June) you are already in a new phase of life ready to move onward and upward. You can speed this whole process up by seeking out friends and associates and make new acquaintances or revive old ones. Since this is a pumped up month, you can get over any potential conflicts in viewpoints by discussing opinions, beliefs or theories in a receptive way without having to give ground in your own beliefs. Being open minded will help you get through hotspots around the 7th, 18th and 20th when Mars, your ruler, connects with the Sun and Mercury. Around the 21st, there may be some confusion or lack of direction but this will be a passing phase. Swim with the tide for the rest of the month, ground yourself and be transparent in your dealings with others. By your birthday, your batteries will be fully recharged.

TAURUS: Up until the 23rd, you are in everyone’s sights! There is nowhere to hide with so much planetary attention in the realm of your career, reputation, public image or overall lifestyle and life direction and you have a great opportunity to make a breakthrough. February is also a month to work hard to power along existing projects, create a twist so that you stand out from others, or challenge or be challenged by people who work or think differently to you. It’s also a good idea to challenge and question yourself so that you can blow away any energy that is stuck. Peak points when hotspots manifest may occur around the 7th, 18th and 20th when a surge of intellectual energy brings events or meetings that lead to new paths. Venus, your ruler, moves through sister-sign Capricorn from the 4th bringing you closer to people at a distance. There could very well be something to celebrate, or perhaps you are meeting someone for the first time. The karmic implications of your relationships will be so obvious that your down to earth nature may almost believe in kismet.

GEMINI: Once your ruler Mercury joins the glitterati that is the Sun, Mars, (New) Moon and Neptune in Aquarius high in your chart on the 4th, the world is your oyster. You are a literal livewire this month and your thinking is very much on the broader sweep of your life. Whether it’s your beliefs or whether it’s itchy feet, doing something different may be the only way to quench your intellectual cravings. Publishing ventures or a promotion via your website may work extremely well so this is the month to sit down and create something different. People will be attracted to quirkiness and originality now. From the 23rd, Mars alters the astrological beat when he dives into Pisces but climbs to the top of your chart. Learn from people, educational material and by exploring new concepts in the first part of the month as this will provide you with the ammunition to overcome the challenges that confusion brings in career or life direction matters. Knowing why you want to approach a particular path or project in a certain way and providing the logical reasons that have been clearly worked out will win you the support of people you answer to or rely upon.

CANCER: The lunations this month may be rough and ready with a particular episode in your life reaching a rocky conclusion on the 18th, however, you still have Jupiter and Uranus soaring high above your chart and this means you are only limited by your own imagination, outlook or attitude. Change is definitely hovering around you and it may come in the most unexpected of ways. Every cloud has a silver lining and even though you can’t keep the clouds away, you should make the most of all situations between now and June rather than falling victim to circumstances. The first half of February has a group of planets in your zone of money that involves other people. This means that some small event or circumstance can create a flow on effect in that you need to focus on getting your accounts into order. This could lead to travel or educational opportunities. This is probably a blessing in disguise because the planetary symbolism means there is a cool and precise logic that can be employed to work through details. From the 23rd, some of you may be fascinated by a particular place, study, philosophy or publishing venture. For others, an active imagination can take you to wonderful places in your mind.

LEO: That’s some grouping of star-spangled planets in the skies right now and because they are opposite your sign and there is a Full Moon in your sign on the 18th, a culmination is very much on the cards. Some of the planetary patterns are impatient to move on to greater pastures, others hold great possibilities, and others suggest that it’s time for a little relationship maintenance. The best date to begin anything that involves getting together with someone else – whether for business, love or friendship – is around the New Moon of the 3rd, when sensible Saturn supports your actions and helps to make proposals constructive and long-lasting. Try to keep a level head in anything you are really excited about as too much force can turn others off. There may be opponents but there also lots of supporters so keep your cool and stay in control with someone who is trying to get a reaction out of you. The 18th brings a very murky close to a situation that began six months ago. It may seem as if this chapter has finished but some issues may be masked by confusion or uncertainty, which means addressing these details later in the year.

VIRGO: Being the sign that is most conscious of health and wellbeing – even if you avoid exercise or eating right, you almost always feel guilty about it – February is the month to get up and moving and start fulfilling all those New Year’s resolutions. Suddenly your attitude clicks into place or someone from work, or even your doctor, health adviser or an article you read in the waiting room, could switch you onto a new (to you) craze that seems just right. The same could apply to a diet. Use the staid but active energy of the New Moon of the 3rd to sign up. By the 18th, life looks takes on a murky colour and acting on impulse is best avoided to keep out of hot water. From the 23rd, Mars travels through Pisces until April 2nd bringing all the flotsam and jetsam of relationships to the surface over a six week period. It will be easy to get hot under the collar with people who are confused or confusing just when you need straight answers. At work, the first half of February is a great month to work together on team projects. For others, pets and small animals become significant.

LIBRA: In the month of Valentine’s Day, there’s nothing better for a Libran to have a group of planets travelling through your love and fun zone. Even the New Moon of the 3rd suggests that a new turning point is at hand if you make the effort to mix and mingle with friends, acquaintances, social or digital networks. The first half of February is the time to get out and about, to be seen and heard, to be active and reactive. You could be involved in a fundraiser and meet someone who has the same interests, especially on an intellectual level, where romance often starts for you. For others there may be a celebration such as the birth of a baby, project or creative venture. And for others, it’s children who bring happiness and joy in some form. Unfortunately, the last week of February, is filled with the energy of a frustrated Full Moon on the 18th. This occurs in your area of friends and acquaintances so if there are issues that are unclear, it might be best to get them sorted by then to avoid having your hopes and dreams dashed. Whatever took place six months ago may have some relevance to events then.

SCORPIO: It’s hard to say how having so many planets in your home zone will pan out during the first three weeks of February but one thing is for sure, it is likely to be busy, busy, busy. Updating, renovating or moving to a bigger or smaller place may all suddenly be in the stars. The high energy means you have to make a snap decision, act quickly or entertain people at short notice. Family may also visit, or you visit them, and there are likely to be sudden events that need to be arranged. All this can make you hot and bothered when you need patience and calm. Don’t worry, even though there is a culmination at Full Moon on the 18th, Mars will smooth over ruffled feelings and bring the break you deserve. Career or life direction-wise, you may find that unfinished business resurfaces that then creates obstacles to further progress. If you can actively seek out what needs to be addressed, you can avoid having to go back to this saga later in the year when all you want to do is move on.

SAGITTARIUS: Communication is where it is all at during the first three weeks of February. There may be a real buzz in the air, even in your very own neighbourhood or with a brother or sister that gives you all something to think and talk about. Suddenly there may be plans to make, or causes to follow. On a personal level, this is the month to think outside the square and perhaps approach a stubborn situation from another angle. Your ruler Jupiter is certainly gaining momentum for fun times ahead but before that can happen there may be an intense concentration of having to examine your beliefs against someone else’s. This could be a financial issue, or you may find that your values are completely different. The first thing to realise is that everyone is feeling the need to control and direct their own fortune around the 26th when Jupiter and Pluto meet for the second and last time. Look back to August 2010 for clues on what these issues may be. There is so much to look forward to in the future that allows your self-expression to shine through that it would be shame to let differences in opinion get in the way of this happiness.

CAPRICORN: With Venus in your sign from the 4th, your social appeal will soar and you are more likely to want to mix with people who make you feel good about yourself. You also have the power to make others feel extra special too – you might find you are very popular. During the first three weeks of February, sort out financial issues and make deals or look for ways to raise cash. You may be concerned with the value of assets and possessions and keen to whittle your life down to those items that are worth even more investment in the long run than those that are cash-draining. Call it quits around the 18th if it becomes clear you are throwing good cash after bad. With Jupiter and Uranus hovering around your home and family sphere, there are adventures ahead that will take off in March so use this time to get accounts into order so that you are in a position to take up opportunities. Upgrading or downgrading, domestic changes are on the horizon that, while disruptive, will lead to more freedom by June when your position will be much more secure.

AQUARIUS: Happy birthday Aquarius! There’s a lot of cosmic action taking place in your sign during the first three weeks of February. With Mars, the planet of energy and will, travelling through until the 23rd, this is your chance to tackle those issues, jobs and projects that require enthusiasm and vitality to pull off – with Saturn out of sorts, it may feel as if the handbrake is on but there’s nothing to stop you planting seeds now and preparing the ground. Socially, you might be very aware of those injustices that need to be corrected so if you are one of those Waterbearers who loves a cause, this is your month. The New Moon on the 3rd is in your sign – this is your green light to instigate new projects. However, the storm clouds gather around the Full Moon on the 18th when patience and clarity are thin on the ground. You could become highly frustrated by the woolly-headedness of other people but this is your cue to take a wait and see approach. Unfinished business might take until July/August to complete.

PISCES: The private sector your chart is where all the action is taking place this month. Behind the scenes is where you are quite happy to be and it’s certainly a good place to clear out the dusty corners and actively pursue answers to mysterious questions. Sometimes, it’s in the quiet moments that life becomes clear. A new birthday cycle kicks off later in the month and as early as March 5th you will be ready to move into a new phase. You will have Mars travelling through your sign from the 23rd and your ruler Jupiter creating discord with Pluto on the 26th. Mars in Pisces means that all of you will have an active, busy year ahead while early born Pisceans will have some philosophical issues to wrangle with in the coming months that will lead to big questions being asked about financial ventures, earnings or savings. The trick is to avoid getting too attached to any one belief about your security and instead realise that once you are on the open road there will be many more options and experiences that will expand your worldview.

People Who Should Know better

Wow, there's been a lot of bad press about astrology lately with the appearance of Ophiucus resulting in some tall stories being spread by people in the scientific community on respected television channels - namely the BBC - who really should know better. As astrologers we are not so much concerned with proving whether astrology works or not but more with the outrageous claims that amuses/infuriates us most: that astrologers earn huge amounts of money from a very gullible public. This public, namely You, appears, from what the scientists are implying, to be extremely stupid. What an insult to both you and astrologers. They also claim that we do readings in the same manner as a sun-sign column which means that 1/12 of the population will all have the same chart! This is total poppycock - to put it very politely - because all consultations are based on a time, place and date of birth, or by horary astrology - asking a question of the astrologer at a given time.

Astrology is a very complicated process that is taken very seriously by astrologers. Yes, some of us do write columns but we do so in a way that presents astrology in a respectable light in a bid to rise above some of the rubbish columns written by journalists. Yes, folks, journalists. You know those columns that are so brief and vague and without any astrological terminology to back up the data being presented. Newspapers and magazines know that astrology sells and that's why they have picked this little acorn this time around. You only need to look at the rubbish being spouted about Ophiucus to see it has gone viral. Please, dear public, don't fall for this!

A sincere person discrediting a belief, would begin his research by discovering exactly what happens when an astrologer prepares for a consultation and what they charge. Since this outrageous claim is that all astrology is based on your sun-sign (something that was invented by NEWSPAPERS to SELL NEWSPAPERS in the 1930's), he would find there is at least 2-3 hours work spent on calculating and pondering the symbolism in a chart. And that's before the client shows up for their 1-2 hour consultation. Doesn't take a rocket scientist - excuse the pun - to work out that this means that for 4-5 hours work they might get paid anything between $100-$200 - a mean average of say $30 an hour! Then we get to minus tax off that!

Yes, there are telephone lines that charge by the minute, but you will not find a genuine astrologer running one - you will find they are being run by people who claim to be psychic and use the word astrology - yes based on your sun-sign - to do a "reading". It's ironic that these same lines are being advertised on the Guardian's website, where discussions have been taking place between astrologers and "scientists". These lines are the equivalent to those scam emails one gets claiming to be your bank and asking for your password.

Some very intelligent people on the Guardian's forum came up with the claim that some papers get their journalists to write a year's worth of starsign columns and to vary the content each year so that no one will notice. They then go on to ask "how can astrology work?" Oh. My. God! They don't even realise that what they are saying here is: that a journalist wrote the column with NO ASTROLOGER IN SIGHT. This should set the alarm bells ringing straight away! Blaming the poor old astrologer because astrology doesn't work when not one single astrologer has been consulted? Wow, I think they have shot themselves in the foot there!

Even if you think astrology IS a load of old bollocks, you can still lobby for quality television maintaining its standards. Please feel free to add your voice to the growing list of people who are outraged by the lack of professionalism and knowledge displayed by media and scientific fields.

http://www.astrologicalassociation.com/pages/bbc/submit.php

December 2010

PLANET REPORT: December contains a mixed bag of goodies that requires patience and trust in the powers that be that there are great changes ahead despite the slowing down, delays and last ditch attempts to grab control this month (the 14th is a day that is loaded with cloak-and-dagger style politics, passion and power ploys). Just as Uranus is biting at the bit to get on with his last foray in Pisces when he turns direct on December 6th, Mercury drags on the undertow and settles into the approach path of his retrograde phase between the 11th and 30th. Mercury’s deceleration in Capricorn puts the dampers on just when we feel like we are on the verge of moving into new territories, but this is one last chance to truly structure, strategise and economise our lives so that we can start 2011 with the bare essentials. When he gets together with Mars and Pluto on the 14th, it will be hard to resist the urge to defend and define our territory. Less shackled by the material world, as 2011 wears on we will lust after adventure and freedom once we hit the open road in March so hang in there and avoid the control trap. After being in Pisces since 2003, Uranus has great adventures ahead when he travels into Aries on March 12th and a fast and furious seven year era begins. As early as January 23rd, Jupiter will get the ball of change rolling so it’s a blessing in disguise that we have the holiday delays to create the space to plan. Alongside the Mercury retro holding pattern, a lunar eclipse at Full Moon in Gemini on the 21st will divide thoughts and ideas and break apart emotionally-based thinking patterns. Communication is the key to bridging the gap so that we can connect to our emotions and put feelings into words. Gemini is famous for splitting emotions from thoughts so an eclipse here means that it’s important to avoid rationalising or justifying actions in an intellectual way. If not, the solar eclipse at New Moon on January 4th in Capricorn will bring us back inside the boundary lines of our emotions. The bigger shifts in global consciousness mark March 29th as a key date for world economies. Thankfully, this “balancing-up” cosmic event that relates back to May 2000 when this cycle began will be short and sharp. Those born in the first few days of Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn will experience the direct effects of these shifts and are probably already in the throes of inner and outer change that began last June. Six months ago we caught a glimpse of what is going to be on offer in the coming months when both Jupiter and Uranus stood just inside the threshold of Aries. The summer solstice occurs on the 22nd at 12:40pm and will be a potent marking point for the next three months. Release the negative fears and worries then!

ARIES: December is complicated but it’s the last stretch of bumpy ground before Jupiter hits your sign on January 4th. The key is in the ignition and it will be all systems go from January 22nd so make use of December’s turbulence and pot holes to shake out the nuts and bolts that need replacing in professional issues (which are likely to be plentiful)! Mars fires up the engine from December 8th but by the 14th that atmosphere is thick with intrigue! So many secrets and behind the scenes activities are unearthed that you will be amazed at the timing as you prepare to change course in the future - you could be very glad you discovered a thing or two before ploughing ahead with life-changing decisions that could very well change your mind or attitude toward a particular venture or person. Communication and information is everything now since there is an eclipse in your communication zone on December 21st. Again, home and profession will be affected by the information or concepts that come to light. Keep your mind wide open.

TAURUS: Your sights are set on the bigger picture this month and even if you have to rethink some of these ideas or ideals, you have the right conceptual foundations in place for 2011. It’s all just a matter of tweaking the details in a publishing venture, your website, an educational, cultural, or travel project as previously hidden information comes to light. And there’s enough information to fill a book or two. Financially, other people’s resources, assets and money will be need to be sorted and structured so that the way is clear to move into the next phase. December may be full of delays and emotional issues, intrigues and interesting scenarios but what you learn will clear the air and pave the way for fascinating changes to your belief about people and places. 2011 is going to a journey of inner discovery and of reaching back into the past for answers to today’s issues.

GEMINI: Mercury, your ruler, changes direction on the 11th and won’t follow a straight trajectory until the 30th. This means, despite the irresistible desire to control situations around the 14th, letting issues rest and allowing life to shape itself as information comes along. Your zone of shared financial resources, assets and money will go through a series of loops bringing you face to face with the important people in your life. Can you avoid the deeper undercurrents that are pulling all of us into the void mid-month? Perhaps this is the moment of truth as this is a month for discussing, delving and divining both your own and a significant other’s thoughts and feelings. The eclipse on the 21st brings all this and much more to a conclusion. Freedom becomes the driving force of decisions made now. Avoid letting the concrete set until you are absolutely sure, which should be around mid-January.

CANCER: December is one of those wobbly months where eclipses dot the scenery like emotional landmines. Keep your cool as you ponder deeper issues that can no longer be avoided. A big question mark hangs over you and whether to carry on with a relationship that consistently brings up repeating themes and issues. Around the 14th, deep discussions or hidden information could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back but keep going with the flow until at least New Year’s Eve before signing, saying goodbye or searching for something new. There is still a solar eclipse at New Moon on January 4th to contend with and this will be when new directions are staked out. Whether you both take the same road, or part ways, is a matter of personal desire and just how much everyone is willing to compromise, cooperate or collaborate with each other. Not long now until Jupiter creates a whole new ball game in your professional and public life. Circle January 23rd as the beginning point!

LEO: Being ruled by the Sun, the eclipses of December 21st and January 4th create a distinct end and beginning point in matters involving children, creativity, a venture that involves a risk or two, your everyday world, health and even pets. All of these matters will have a double underline beneath them when Mercury does his three-monthly U-turn across these zones between December 11th and 30th. The eclipses will stamp a sense of permanent change across these areas. Welcome what happens because clearing out the deadwood will ensure that new elements can take hold and you will be free to pursue the open vistas that lie in wait throughout 2011. Passion is at an all time high this month and you can achieve the high ideals that you crave in intimate relationships and situations. You are also encouraged by children and their development creating a win-win atmosphere that leads to better parenting and interactions with off-spring or younger people. Draw out the best in a son or daughter who is ready to open up and share their thoughts.

VIRGO: Mercury’s up to his old tricks again from the 11th, turning things around just when you thought it was safe to move forward. And despite the uneasiness, you’ll be grateful for the mini-WikiLeaks scenario that empowers you to make the right decisions. Information is power now! If you have big-ticket property deals, try to avoid signing anything until after New Year if you can’t get it wrapped up the 11th. Presents also need to be wrapped up and under the tree - or hidden away - well before then too. Mercury retro phases are notorious for mistakes. On the other hand, you may decide to streamline festive giving and instead conclude that getting together is more fulfilling. And even though you are bursting to get on with the next instalment of a project, you are lucky that Christmas and the holiday season buys you time to digest information that will surface, especially around the 14th. It’s time for heart-to-hearts, investigations and research with family, home and child-related projects. Hopefully, this marks the end of a long saga.

LIBRA: You’re still busy getting through the flotsam and jetsam that washed up while your ruler Venus was retrograde in October and November. December finds you back at the beginning of a compelling financial situation that you now know a lot more about. December still carries potent issues that require deep thought especially in relation to family, shared living, parents or shifting, renovating or buying. Digging deep doesn’t just apply to your physical foundations but to anything from your childhood to the present day and everything in between. Old issues can surface now, especially around the 14th, and then again on January 4th when cosmic pressure points set off all sorts of issues that you thought were dead and buried. Keep your Libran logic working for you rather than get tangled up in the emotional complexities. Communication and keeping sight of the big picture is the key to successfully navigating this sensitive month. A whole new ballgame starts from late January!

SCORPIO: Keep within your budget and work on streamlining financial or business budgets at least until January when you will have all the facts and figures that you need to plan ahead. Allow for necessary big-ticket items by keeping smaller purchases to a minimum. Your ruler Mars has grand financial designs to work with up until the 8th and once he moves into Capricorn it will be time to put the thinking cap on to structure and materialise these plans. Think like an accountant, visualise like an entrepreneur and act like a technician! Use the delays and uncertainties to step back and look at the big picture rather than give into doubt and worry. And even though the week leading up to the 14th will be intense and passionate but very restrained, by the 19th you will be able to see beyond the control issues and into the future. Emotions will overshadow logic at the lunar eclipse at Full Moon on the 21st but this helps to clear old thinking patterns that affect attitudes and behaviour.

SAGITTARIUS: Happy birthday Sag! It’s all systems go as you rev into action with the New Moon in your sign on the 6th. As the month opens you’ve got self-improvement projects on the boil, perhaps because you’ve turned the calendar and realised there are only three weeks till Christmas. There are houses, gardens and shopping to get done in such a short time. Don’t worry you’ll manage it all by starting at the beginning! Firstly though try to get the shopping out of the way so that you avoid the classic Mercury retro tendency (from the 11th) to buy all the wrong things, or to find that they don’t work. This is definitely a month to plan ahead financially and see beyond the gift-giving into the exciting future that begins in late January when your ruler Jupiter moves into fellow-fire sign Aries on the 23rd. Communication is the key to avoiding emotional issues at the lunar eclipse in your relating zone on the 21st. Try to see past the trivialities then.

CAPRICORN: As you head toward your birthday month, which starts at the solstice on the 23rd, you will have to strive hard to balance all aspects of your life. There’s an intense concentration of energy in your sign as well as Mercury following a crazy course from the 11th so keep everything open and relaxed. This makes December the perfect month to take stock before your personal and global New Year begins. You’re up close and totally immersed in personal issues that must be dealt with, as well as your sense of control, but the trick to getting through this phase is to let events and developments flow before sealing the envelope. Karmic issues require attention and they will keep coming back until understanding or resolution can be achieved. Hopefully, December will be the month when you give it one last shot before heading into the wild blue yonder of 2011. An eclipse on January 4th occurs in your sign and this will be the marking point for the next six months.

AQUARIUS: Being a group-oriented person, you are way better at dealing with the team, band, club or network as a whole than you are on a one-to-one basis. December is a month when all your social talents will be brought to the surface despite the need to attend to intensely private issues around the 14th. And even though you are needed by your associates and mates there is something about situations that arise that require a wait and see approach. You’ve got so much happening behind the scenes that require a zen-like approach to deal with the karmic implications that are attached to them. For this reason, you need to save your energy for the secrets and intrigues that others might not be aware of. By mid-January, we will be on the straight and narrow but until then deal with issues as they occur but avoid setting agreements, commitments or collaborations in concrete until you have all the facts. Gather and scrutinise details and then act in January.

PISCES: Even though you are winding down the working year, there are professional or life-direction issues that will become obvious as December wears on. Something that was almost signed and sealed will suddenly go through a series of changes that will compel you to think ahead to the bigger picture of 2011. Visualise, plan and strategise as well as look at the big picture of the coming year but try to avoid making hard and fast decisions until all the facts are to hand (once the working year begins again). With a retrograde and two eclipses looming over the holiday season, this is a time to watch and wait while giving the impression you are moving toward a resolution or decision. Issues around who holds the reins, wears the trousers or wields the stick could backfire if vision is too narrow-sighted. Around the 14th friends, team and band mates or associates will push the envelope as hard as they can but again back off until you can see what the real motivation is. A cold-shoulder approach could really mask Insecurity and fear. Life is changing and an era is about to come to an end.

November 2010

PLANET REPORT: There’s a window of opportunity from the 19th-30th to wind projects, ideas and lifestyle changes up to their maximum voltage. Venus and Jupiter both do a u-turn and return to the right side of the road on the 19th, but there are still a lot of speed bumps to get over before they hit the open highway in January. Venus is happy, strong and optimistic in the light of a new day but by the 30th will be an unhappy Persephone when passing once more through the desolate marshes of Scorpio. A long detour, it will take until January 8th to pass through this emotionally, swampy place, but at least there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The added bonus is that we know the terrain and who and what to avoid! Returning to Scorpio, unfinished business from July-November will begin to solidify in whatever way, shape or form life has convoluted into during the past 10 weeks. During November, look at negotiations, pacts, deals, financial and relationship issues during the open, sunny stage (before the 30th) rather than keeping feelings in the dark only to emerge over the next eight weeks. Clarify, cleanse and clear-up the distortions and warps that travelling backwards tends to induce. Neptune, weaver of dreams and illusions, turns direct for the second to last time in Aquarius (he’s been here since the late 1990’s). In approximately one year’s time Neptune will move into like-minded Pisces, marking the beginning of a new generation and a whole new set of dreams to look forward to. There’s going to be a strange sense of being on the edge of something during the next 12 months making this a time to reweave ideals and dispel illusions. Gladiator Mars spars his way confidently through idealistic Sagittarius until December 8th (and even though it’s a much shorter run, I always watch these transits as they are linked to the extended Mars in Sag journey between February-September 2001). Aim for the stars, keep sight of aspirations, uphold ideals but be brave enough to know which ones to toss by the wayside. Mercury increases optimism and encourages that Christmassy feel when it transits into Sag on the 9th but there’s a double-edged sword to contend with between the 16-18th. The Sun also does its best to dispel the trials and tribulations of another year when it too passes into Sag on the 22nd at 11:16pm. The intense New Moon of the 6th in Scorpio leads us into the light of the fertile Full Moon in Taurus on the 22nd. Shining happily in the sky in spite of the bumpy journey ahead for Venus, this Full Moon says that we can take hold of the strength within to sustain and build a secure future.

ARIES: Filled with a huge sense of optimism, you discover that there are bigger and better territories to conquer – mentally or physically - in November and this will follow through in December. There are still many financial speed-bumps to get over that make life hard to budget for but by the 19th it all turns around. The facts and figures stop jiggling and you can now arrange the pages of this chapter in the context of your life. Late January is when the real adventure begins for many Aries so hang in there and use the next ten weeks to arrange, finish up and sort out the aspects of your life that are in their last gasps. Aim higher, think harder and travel further, if not physically then in your mind via learning channels such as libraries, the internet, books and even people who are confident, robust and extremely well-travelled and versed in your chosen subjects. There is change just around the corner so while some aspects of your life, such as money, bog you down, look ahead to January-March, which will be action-packed months.

TAURUS: November is a big, if not passionate, month for Taureans, especially those with a major theme, thread or train of thought to weave, discuss or develop with the important people in your life. It appears that everyone feels strongly about their point of view so there may be those who challenge, block or make life difficult. After the middle of the month, feelings give way to a more relaxed atmosphere that encourages compromise. The biggest breakthrough since September, the last weeks of November foster a willingness to bring opposing ideas, feelings or values into the open. It is only when we find ourselves second-guessing others or being afraid to speak up do problems arise. Standing out of one’s own way can help too! Clear communication can restore your state of mind and bring a balanced perspective. There’s also a big emphasis on shared assets, money and resources as well as a claim, settlement, tax issue or involvement with lending institutions that can be modified, clarified or resolved. By your annual Full Moon on the 22nd, projects that have been in the pipeline since May are brought to a full circle.

GEMINI: A very active month for Gemini folk, it will be all too easy to get into a war of words when it comes to writing letters, sending text messages, firing off emails or making phone calls in November if you don’t count to ten first. While stress levels are high, commitment is hard to come by and airy-fairy attitudes highly irritating, there are ways to resolve situations. Someone will be looking for hard and fast answers, or something that gets said matter-of-factly turns into a reason to defend a position, reputation or viewpoint. Underneath it all is a desire to eke out the truth so pinning down the object of your interest – in romance, friendship or business – may be the best way. Having a heart to heart rather than avoiding the situation will clear the air quickly. The Full Moon of the 22nd is an excellent time to invite someone to dinner or take them out to lunch. Closure of events over the past six months - and in particular the last ten weeks when so much information has come to light – would be a nice way to head into the festive season.

CANCER: While the 19th is the pivotal date for all signs with its openings and lucky breaks, Cancerians benefit most by researching, working through and then pushing to get important projects, deals or assignments neatly packaged by December. The backtracking and detours then in your other people zone, makes late-November a time to eke out information, get a commitment or gain emotional input before you hit speed-bumps or others change their mind. If there is anything that requires a signature, from the 19th is the best time to let the ink dry. Passion has been an over-riding emotion over the past ten weeks and for some of you, your emotional stakes have been invested in love, while for others, a creative venture has wrung every ounce of inspiration, time and energy. For others still, children have required huge doses of your support and attention. If it is means a lot to you, then take steps to ensure it all lasts. Aim for the lovely Full Moon on the 22nd to enjoy the good things in life and review your personal achievements.

LEO: Now that the Christmas and holiday season is just around the corner, you suddenly realise how much needs to be done around the house. There’s a wonderful focus on fun too and some of you may even decide to host festivities at your house or throw a party for the New Year. Think carefully about this Leo because everything changes in December and what seemed like a good idea now, could seem monumental to pull off then. Why not have a pre-Christmas get together this month while your energy levels are high. On another level, if you are moving, or have been trying to buy or sell a house for some time, then everything could fall neatly into place this month. At the very least, having more options to choose from gives you hope for the future. This is an important month for children too. Encouraging them to aim high in a sports or creative venture could be all they need to take off. Put pen to paper from the 8th – a letter, email, article or book – the words will flow straight from the heart.

VIRGO: A big and busy month for Virgo folk now that Mars and then Mercury move toward active spots in your chart. November 20th will be the most active day for discussing, texting, writing and thinking when not only will your ideas and proposals be acceptable to others but there may be a surprise bonus thrown in. While this will happen in your family and home zone, your career, public life and reputation will also be in full swing. High activity times also mean high-stress times so try to deal with one thing at time rather than multi-task. Better to be master of what you are doing than a Jack who never completes anything. Quick off the mark, you will baulk at delays, interruptions or setbacks but try to be patient with slower paced people or find will yourself with a mutiny on your hands on the 26th-27th. Co-operation is what you need. The gorgeous Full Moon of the 22nd in sister-sign Taurus signals a beautiful completion of a learning experience that began six months ago. Fully utilise the power of advertising, the net or travel and academia.

LIBRA: It’s been a frustratingly slow 10 weeks but rest assured that from the 8th the intensity dies down and by the 19th, it will be full steam ahead. Ducking and diving through the murky swamp of Scorpio, Venus is back in your sign from November 8th. It’s been a long road from August 8th where this journey began. And while life turns a very sweet corner on the 19th you will have to be quick with putting your best efforts in where promotion, health and lifestyle changes are concerned as this will make all the difference from November 30th-January 8th. December is a very tricky month but if all the muck has been cleared up from the underbelly of your financial life, you will have a clean slate to approach income, business and property situations. If you are a writer, blogger or work in media, up until December 6th you will have plenty of intellectual stamina to say what you want very clearly. Short trips to intriguing places are also very possible. The Full Moon of the 22nd peaks nicely in your other people’s money, assets and resources sphere, so crunch numbers carefully.

SCORPIO: Your aura precedes you and your allure is at an all time high during November. This is the month to revamp everything from your clothes, hair, make-up and image to improving your employment profile, starting a Facebook page or overhauling your website. It’s all about you (or your business or profession) and your image as you head into a new solar year. While it’s best to wait till the second half to launch new projects, your annual New Moon marks the beginning of an active month where there are plenty of chances to turn things around. It’s bumpy in December so steam ahead with plans now. Venus has been pacing your sign since September 8th making the past 10 weeks interesting but uncertain. November 8th-30th there are sudden turnarounds, opportunities and lucky breaks in romance or creative ventures, but you will have to socialise, mix and mingle to meet potential associates, friends or mates. There’s a huge temptation to spend money in November so set a budget and stick to it.

SAGITTARIUS: Mars is in your sign until December 8th so your birthday year gets off to a flying start from the 22nd. It gets even better when your ruler Jupiter turns to direct motion – along with Venus – on the 19th. While Mars will provide thrust and propulsion, wait until Jupiter turns direct before powering ahead with self-improvement plans. Jupiter – the planet of profits and presents – has been out of action since mid-July. You’ll find it hard to sit on your hands but things can work out even better if you can keep to physical tasks and leave lifestyle decisions until November 19th. If you are on the lookout for a new home, or if you have been trying to sell a property, dreams may come true then. There are definitely more options opening up and this makes you feel optimistic and able to plan for the future. Once Jupiter and Venus move forward, try to power-pack as much as you can into the period of the 19th-30th. December is a decidedly difficult month with many sea-changes making life uncertain. Christmas shop in November but keep big-ticket purchases until after the 19th.

CAPRICORN: With Mercury – the planet of commerce and transactions – going out of tune in your sign on December 11th, November is the month to get as much as you can done in terms of your Christmas preparations. There is an easy-going flow to life now where suddenly you can find the time in your busy schedule to meet with friends, make new acquaintances or put energy into charities or causes. In fact, you may be approached from all sides to assist with fundraising or collections. If you are involved with teams, bands or clubs, you will thoroughly enjoy the social pleasure of mixing and mingling. From the 19th, make the big lifestyle decisions that have been suspended for so long. Sudden opportunities, offers or openings will present themselves then and you may be spoilt for choice. In the bigger scheme of your life, Pluto travelling with the Node in your sign brings direct karmic experiences that, if recognised for what they are, can help you work through unresolved issues that lift the weight from your shoulders. What happens now is good for you.

AQUARIUS: It never rains but pours! This time it’s your career zone that becomes a juggling act and while you may be stressed at the beginning of the month, by the 19th you’ll be amazed at how easily it all falls into place. There’s a crowd around the top of your chart and what seems like a certainty can suddenly change after some thought or clarification. Be pro-active in goals and under no circumstances should you accept “no” for an answer. Friends, groups, bands, clubs and teams become highly animated in your life as do causes, charities and fundraisers. It’s crowded out there in the land of raising money but your cause is sure to stand out now if you put extra effort in and offer something in return. There’s also a change in your personal financial life after the 19th, which is the best time to pack in Christmas shopping. December’s loopholes and potholes make planning and action difficult so try to wrap up projects and end-of-year activities in November. November is also a month of great healing and resolution.

PISCES: Woo-hoo! Your ruler Jupiter finally turns direct on November 19th signalling the last leg of a year-long self-development phase. Between now and January 22nd, you’ve got time to give yourself a good going-over in terms of setting new goals and looking toward the opening 12-year cycle. November contains many hidden gems that suddenly come to light but like any treasure hunt, you have to be looking and be prepared to dig a little – not only with attitude but also the right tools. Learning, teaching and an open mind are the best tools possible to have in your bag of tricks. Venus also turns around on the same day (19th) in your shared assets and resources sector so where you have had difficulty balancing the books, suddenly the numbers line up like magic. Mars on your career and reputation zone also means this is a time to focus on specifics rather than spread yourself too far and wide. Aim high but start at the bottom and work your way up. Actions may speak just as loudly as words around the 20th so think before you speak or act but always remain optimistic.

October 2010

PLANET REPORT: With vixen Venus now deeply immersed in smouldering Scorpio and about to turn to a rare retrograde motion on the 8th (this only happens every 18th months), the hidden, intriguing and more than spicy aspects of our lives, loves and longings are also about to take a turn. Delightfully sensuous, but also a bit too intense for some people, all sorts of unbidden thoughts, situations and desires can burst forth this month! It might be better to control this exotic energy by adding an air of anticipation to existing relationships and pre-arranging special trysts, tete-a-tetes and tantalisers to spice up the private hours. We often forget the need to be sensual during these busy times so we have 13 weeks to flame the inner embers! Travelling alongside Venus is masculine Mars (strong, virile and healthy in his own sign Scorpio), lending us contained energy to power-charge relationships so that they can withstand the rise and fall, rocking and rolling of emotion that will undulate through October and November. With the apparent change in orbit on the 8th (and a New Moon in Libra on the same day), Venus will act like a release valve opening the floodgates that allow taboo emotions to swamp our thoughts. Unacknowledged feelings and desires can warp into a Pandora’s Box of unhealthy resentment so sharing insights and working together to consciously create chemistry and excitement is a good starting point – either that, or come to the conclusion that this is what is missing! Because Scorpio is a Fixed sign, there’s also a tendency to want permanence and stability despite the undercurrents that make life interesting, so if commitment is sought after - but not attained - then all sorts of issues will spring up around this central dilemma. For some, this can be a make or break period in relationships. Since we have until January for this energy to play itself out, we may need to bend the rules and try to be more flexible and less stubborn or indignant and just see where the flow leads us rather than make hard or fast decisions – there are so many variables to emerge. Outside of close relationships, long-standing feuds can become highly flammable too since Scorpio is a sign that stores and files grievances for good-keeping! As long as Venus has Mars there to guide her she will be fine but once her escort leaves her side (28th), she will be left to deal with the murkier aspects that she would rather not have to deal with. Early in the month, we can sow seeds that will take root so that the meaningful interactions can withstand the scrutiny that may come about between now and November 19th, when Venus turns direct. Also ruling money and the material world this will be a month of uncertainty and changing values that won’t settle down until the second half of November. If at all possible, aim to wrap up work in progress before October 8th otherwise avoid beginning projects between the October 8th and November 17th but instead work through all the nuances, variables and details so that you are in a strong position to begin later in the month. Mercury joins Venus in Scorpio on the 21st ahead of the Sun on the 24th paving the way to truly identify and talk about the issues that have been thrown up. The New Moon on the 8th and in Venus’ sign, Libra, kick-starts our awareness of our interactions. By the Full Moon of the 23rd (02:38pm), we will have reached some decision to hatch, match or despatch projects, plans or relationships. From then until November 17th, we can work through the change.

ARIES: Forget your lust for rich man’s gold, all that you need is in your soul - wise lyrics to describe Venus sashaying through your zone of other people’s money until January 7th. Since late September your relationship to debt, credit, taxes, a mortgage, claim, settlement, payout or inheritance has been intensified but on November 18th the pressure, delays, glitches or power plays ease off. And while this might not be soul-destroying stuff or as intense as the War of the Roses (the battles or the movie), the roller-coaster of emotion, driven by your own or other people’s money, their attitude towards your security, and your shared resources and possessions in common, will be enough to make you want to discard all worldly possessions. Venus in Scorpio is all about the passion and desire you have invested with other people - it’s how you use this passion that will make all the difference. In October, it will seem complicated - and you’re right, it is - so try to leave off making major decisions until November when feelings clear long enough to talk about and think through the more taboo aspects of these issues. By December one or all of these matters will be done and dusted so that by January you will be filled with a sense of moving on. And while not every Ram will have material possessions to divide, share or halve, happy Rams can use the powerhouse of passion to generate your own luck. This is a brilliant time to invest in research, learn from someone who has already grasped these principles or simply invest your feelings and physical energy in the areas that you really want to work to your advantage. Your annual Full Moon on the 23rd brings around issues that have been circling for six months.

TAURUS: Stop! In the name of love because even though your ruler, love-child Venus, slows to a stand-still and turns around on October 8th and you find yourself rehashing the emotional complexities of the previous month or so, by November 18th you’ll begin to emerge from the sea of love with more insight than you had before. As she rolls her hips and sashays through sexy, passionate Scorpio – your opposite sign - the overall mood until January 7th will resemble that of an irate Latin lover. Pleading and cajoling one minute, demanding and sulky the next, if there is a time when passions run red hot (for good or bad), it is now. And it can be anyone – fiancé, friend or foe – and it can be about anything – money, manners or marriage - there will be no stone left unturned. By November 8th a little balance will be restored and from December, you can drag out the repair kit. The issues in October are the hot-spot though, when the real dilemmas or differences began to emerge. Issues require that you delve more deeply than you have for sometime into relationships, motivations and intentions. The green-eyed monster may need taming too but once you are presented with evidence or can establish a sense of trust, there are many reasons to keep working at what you have already established.

GEMINI: Over the next three months you may feel as if you are auditioning for a James Bond movie with all the secret intrigues and unspoken vibes spicing up your working hours and transforming routine tasks into sensual, danger-filled events. By the water cooler, in the boardroom, on the shop floor, during rehearsals, directing trades-people or standing in line, you’ll never know what is going to happen each day as you tumble out of bed. Your everyday relationships will take on a life of their own and whatever type of chemistry there is between you, every sentence may be loaded with meaning. Lust, love, obsession, revenge or simply a shared passion, everything will be magnified 100% and whether it’s the chemistry between you or because you have been thrown together to make the best of a situation you find yourselves in, it’s the intensity that drives the engine. That’s the positive side! The negative is getting tangled up in webs that will be hard to extricate yourself from and a wise Twin will choose his partners, tasks and projects with care. Better to get worked up about projects, people and dilemmas that require focused input than focus on projects, people or dilemmas that get you worked up! Mars enters your opposite sign Sagittarius on the 28th and this is sure to ignite the intellectual side of your relationship even further. Looks at the big picture then!

CANCER: There may be 50 ways to leave your lover but there are only a handful of ways to keep them and over the next three months, you will be sailing in a leaky love boat that will reach shore by mid-January. In November, the New Moon of the 8th drives home the issues around lust and love that reared up during October but by the 18th you’ll find yourself whistling Jealous Guy and – depending on who is doing the leaving and keeping - trying to make amends or elicit an apology. Your feelings run deep dear Crab but you tend to get overwhelmed by your insecurities and your dreams of the past so if something comes along that challenges your sense of intimacy, you react with a passion that is equally overwhelming. You’ve got until January 6th to patch or despatch the relationship, so keep in mind that any decisions made during October and up until November 18th will probably be reversed as there are so many variables to work through. Like a Hollywood handprint, avoid sealing your fate until you have passed the cooling down stage – you may just find that your relationship is better for the heavy dose of passion. Children also come under the same banner, so if relationships are not where you energy is focused, then a son, daughter, niece, nephew or some other young person could be a source of dogged consternation. Appealing to the emotions may work but time is the greatest healer as its tender hands even out feelings and make experiences less intense. Their secretiveness may be masking deeper insecurities. Sports, hobbies and creative pursuits may also be drenched in the intriguing energy that October holds.

LEO: Blood is thicker than water and as October opens, you can be forgiven for thinking that it is so thick it is turning to sludge. And you might never listen to We Are Family in quite the same way once you have worked through the wicked web that will be woven in October by the complicated family intricacies that are surfacing. It will take a while but when Venus backs up into Libra on November 7th, something or someone eases its charming way between you helping you to restore some sanity. From the barbeque to the baptism, the wedding to the weekend gathering, the christening to Christmas arrangements, there’s something about the family members interact with each other that brings hidden passions, agendas, memories and desires to the surface. Because it will take until January 7th to bring an end to these matters once and for all, be patient, determined and flexible to make the whole scenario easier on your system. By the 28th, Mars will have moved into far-sighted Sagittarius and into your zone of fun – a welcome relief from the dramatics on the home front. An intellectual pursuit, places and people at a distance are all highlighted by the New and Full Moon cycle this month. What happens then will also help to balance out your perspective.

VIRGO: Dallas, Dynasty or Desperate Housewives, the goings-on in your neighbourhood could provide fertile material for a new soap opera. And that might not be a bad idea with all the activity that is going on in your house of writing, communicating and thinking. Even your Facebook wall, inbox or cell phone can develop lusty threads of exchange. Also the zone of your brothers and sisters (if you have them) and other relatives, means that sibling or family rivalry could provide even more fodder for a script that contains all the right ingredients for a sinister who-dunnit or fact-finding mission. Sit back and let them play it all out, let the gossip swipe back and forth – by November 18th, the truth will emerge and you can sit back and quite cheerfully say “I told you so..” Out of sight, but not out of mind, if you are a writer, even without the neighbourly or technological intrigues, your thought processes are operating on extremely complicated levels between October and January. Measuring and weighing up facts and figures by the fathom-full, you understand that it’s how words, data and details are strung together to make a comprehensive, understandable whole that counts. Leave nothing to chance and make notes of dates, times and conversations, jot down random thoughts and keep a diary to refer to – somehow the log keep you may prove important at some point in future.

LIBRA: If you need a break in the weather, this is the month when the cosmos will provide it! A trickle can turn into a downpour during October since your ruler, sexy Venus, will be too-ing and fro-ing in alluring Scorpio for the next 13 weeks. This is bound to spice up your life in more ways than you can count on one hand. There are issues – big and small – that centre around money, security and what you value in life and your passion is so great to earn and save more that you will strive to overcome the things that keep you from pursuing goals. At the same time, this can get complicated and requires fancy footwork! It can be anything from getting the wolves off your back to paying off a mortgage or credit card so that you can start from scratch in 2011. Since this cosmic dynamic affects all of us, then it’s safe to say that we all feel passionate about something this month Libra - it’s just that for you, the winning wheel stopped on your fiscal sphere and that’s where you should focus so that by January you are free to pursue new relationships that lead to marriage, business or friendship deals, arrangements and pacts that herald a brand new cycle in this area. October opens with Saturn putting the hard word on you but by your annual New Moon on the 8th, you will adjust to the idea that something is changing. The Full Moon of the 23rd brings you full circle to finalise, complete or surrender plans, setups and lifestyle decisions that began six months ago.

SCORPIO: Your image this month is that of a smouldering sex symbol! With both Venus and Mars in your sign nearly all month, your sex appeal simply oozes out of you and if you are looking to mix your chemistry with someone else’s, then chances are this is the month to put yourself out there! Attached or single, this is also the month to spice up your life and, whether you are working or playing, introduce something a little more exotic and sensual into your activities - this will stop the intense energy from turning into dissatisfaction which can turn into a storm of feelings if there is no release. With the Herculean sense of energy that you possess now, you can also get things shaking and moving; however, it would be best to avoid making decisions that can be put off until mid-November where possible. Instead spend your time researching and delving into as many files, folders and fact-finding missions as you can. If you can’t, then locate the weak spots that could prove troublesome later and have some kind of protection plan in place. Health-wise, you should have plenty of slow-burning energy to keep you going in projects that require intense input but do remember to keep hydrated with the right kind of fluids. If you like to socialise, then you are more likely to accidentally overindulge with your current ability to withstand the long hours that some functions could require.

SAGITTARIUS: What you do in secret, behind closed doors or in the privacy of your own fantasies, would be fascinating to others if only they knew! Sigmund Freud would have a field day! With smitten Mars chasing and then overcoming saucy, provocative Venus in Scorpio in your house of secrets, there are bound to be one or two intrigues and amorous Mills and Boon-type adventures happening behind the scenes. There is also an element of danger so you need to be very sure that what you do does not jeopardise your value systems, relationships or reputation. Once Mars moves into your sign on the 28th, a lot can come to light and if the truth is going to hurt, then it’s best to tread water very carefully! Because Venus is treading a rare but somewhat aimless path until January, we can take the wrong turn if we are not vigilant and conscious of how things can turn out. This applies on all sorts levels so whether you’re in the boardroom, the bedroom or behind the scenes, be scrupulous in your dealings with magnetic situations or people. Friends, associates, fellow members and comrades appear older and wiser and from the New Moon, you might realise that their advice holds the key to balance. By the 23rd, there could be a clash of wills with a lover, child or creative colleague that brings a fiery conclusion to a situation that began six months ago.

CAPRICORN: After Scorpio, Capricorn is the next sexiest sign in the zodiac so once Mars cuddles up to Venus in Scorpio in your zone of companions, comrades and cohorts, you may just find that what is currently an easy-going, cruisy friendship suddenly develops into something so much deeper. How far you want to take this depends on your personal situation and whether you feel this will jeopardise what you already have but it’s the intensity of chemistry that stirs something deep within you. One of you will take the high road by the 28th leaving the other to follow their own path so this will be when the passion dies down slowly but surely. The New Moon (8th) and the Full Moon (23rd) splice across your chart in the areas of home, family and life direction and as October opens, the emphasis is definitely on your career, trade, profession, reputation and public image, or, more privately, one of your parents. Saturn seems to be making sure that you are on the right track by placing tests in your way that come in the form of bosses or some other authority figure, or by underlining your obligations to a parent.

AQUARIUS: Just when you were getting into the swim of things where your trade or career is concerned, along comes Miss Venus Retrograde to throw a spanner in the works from the 8th! From office politics to the outer world where you might find yourself on display, there are intriguing dilemmas to stir up the passionate side of your normally cool nature. Your boss or some other person above you in the pecking order may seem to have an ulterior motive that gets your suspicions working overtime, but try to remain on guard and in control until things become clearer. This situation will play itself out over the next 18 weeks and the last thing you want is to make assumptions that you find have no basis in fact. Life is definitely putting you through a learning curve this month and until you come out the other side of this tangled web, you won’t be able to see the wood for the trees. The New Moon of the 8th is on your side though and brings just the right people or news from afar that puts things into a balanced perspective. The Full Moon on the 23rd may also brings news but this time closer to home that concludes a communication project, sibling or neighbourly issue or brings a learning experience to a conclusion.

PISCES: Just looking at travel photos is enough to send you into a fit of yearning and deep desire to get away from it all, and perhaps something inspires you to think about booking a romantic holiday to some place across water or that is surrounded by water. On the other hand, you may find yourself connecting with someone you met on a previous holiday and that the passions are re-ignited all over again, only more intensely this time. For Pisces who have booked their tickets, please be sure to check that all arrangements are as they should be because with Venus travelling an aimless path in your house of relocation, you could find that something has been lost in translation. You may even find yourself in a place full of mystery and intrigue where it is hard to trust anyone! Grounded Pisces might relish sinking their teeth into a philosophical or publishing project and that this involves a significant other where you give each other mutual support. This phase will last until January but the hotspots occur between October 8th and November 17th. The New Moon on the 8th and the Full Moon on the 23rd both point to urgent financial issues that need to be resolved this month. By month’s end, you will be aiming at the stars and expanding on new career possibilities.