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PLUS - instead of viewing planetary influences as outside events over which you have no control PRACTICAL ASTROLOGY will teach you to view planetary configurations as OPPORTUNITIES that will allow you to work with the timing of the universe to make choices, exert control, observe results and track your success over time.
Each month, shortly before the sun moves into a new sign (which usually happens around the 20th or 21st of the month), I'll suggest a way for your sign to take advantage of the opportunities provided by one of the solar month's major astrological features. In addition, you can read a short article on one aspect of putting together a horoscope forecast that will give you more insight into how to interpret your own chart.
Finally, I'll provide a list of keywords for some of the planets, signs, and houses that make up a horoscope so that you can further customize your horoscope.
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Last month's topic: the myth of Mercury retrograde
the transiting moon and lunar eclipses
Bonus! March's topic: The sun's yearly journey
Outside Link: A good site for all kinds of information on self-development: selfgrowth.com
MONTHLY HOROSCOPE FOR ALL SIGNS
Calendar:
The sun is in Cancer this month.
The new
moon is on July 6. Click here to read about
the opportunity presented by the new
moon each month
The full moon is on June 22. Click here to read about using the full moon energy each month
If you're
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SPECIAL HOROSCOPE FOR CANCER: (JUNE 21 - JULY 22)
A Double Dose Of Venus Money Power
Happy Birthday, Cancer! The planet in our spotlight this solar month is Venus, a planet associated with, among other things, two items on almost everyone's favorite list - love and money. You can read more about Venus in this month's topic below. For you, we'll be focusing on the money side of the equation this month since Venus will spend most of the solar month transiting your second house of - you guessed it - money! This month gives you a double dose of Venus money power - and that represents a pretty darn good opportunity for a birthday month. (If you want to focus Venus power in another area, you can use the keywords below to design your own horoscope).
Now I wish I could tell you that transiting Venus will cause large quantities of money to magically show up in your mailbox without any effort on your part. If I could give you that birthday present, I certainly would. And perhaps it will - it is your birthday after all, and perhaps you'll score some awesome presents.
But transiting Venus doesn't exactly guarantee that thousand dollar bills arrive on your doorstep for no discernible reason. If it did, astrology would be a required course in every school, for I can't think of anyone who wouldn't like to learn how and when large quantities of money would show up in their life without them having to do anything!
But there's a little more to it than magical fate, so let's talk about how it really works and how you can use the astrological process to your benefit in a practical and effective way. Here's a simple step-by-step process you can try. First, Venus will actually be in your own sign of Cancer in your solar first house through around the end of June. This is great, because your sign harmonizes well with Venus as both represent feeling principles.
So what you can do is concentrate on getting your feelings aligned around the subject of money until you are in a nice receptive mood on the subject. This is an important step because many of us spend much more time than we realize subconsciously feeling grumpy and suspicious about our abilities to receive naturally, accidentally clinging to our previous disappointments. And even, particularly for you Cancer people, feeling a little guilty below the surface for even wanting things like money for our own selfish selves. Put these kinds of feelings aside for the moment, Cancer! It is perfectly appropriate for you to concentrate on your own self-centered interests and needs during the remainder of June - in fact the universe would prefer it. Get yourself if at all possible into a state where you just feel like you are going to be receiving the money, possessions, or other material items you need for security. Don't fantasize - that will actually backfire as the subconscious mind tags fantasies as unrealistic and puts them in the 'not gonna happen' category. So shoot instead for a nice, realistic, reassuring feeling that things are just gonna work out well for you. Tell yourself that you attract money naturally through your assets and gifts. Keep telling yourself this even if you don't believe it at first until it starts to seem plausible.
Then, as July kicks into gear, it's time for you to take the next step. With Venus in the people-oriented sign of Leo, it's a good opportunity to energetically make your desires known to others with whom you feel a sympathetic vibration. Not naysayers but people whom you feel comfortable being around and with. Cancers can pick up negative vibrations a bit too easily and we don't want those. Keep your eyes open for anyone you can combine forces with to bring a little extra moola into your life. Not necessarily as a long-term partnership but Venus is a planet that works particularly well with others. Don't expect instant results but keep at it through the end of the solar month, working your contacts just to let people know you are open and receptive to more money. What you are doing is speaking your needs at the exact moment the Universe happens to be listening. All of this is particularly important because Venus will be working quite closely with the communicative planet of Mercury throughout this time period.
Now, if things work in typical astrological fashion, someone will hear you and things will be set in motion. Your boss may find out you're interested in more money and not appear the least receptive. That's fine. In fact, sometimes it's a good sign, because below the surface the worry has been implanted that you'll be unhappy without more money and unbeknownst to you, the poor guy or gal is tossing and turning at night wondering how to meet your needs and his or her budget!
Don't take it as a bad sign if your astrological efforts don't meet with a good response at first. A little resistance is often a sign that the universe is actively working to move things on your behalf. Then, right around the time you've given up and forgotten you had any hopes in this area, someone comes along and says 'we're reorganizing the department and regrading your job is part of it. That'll mean the new position has more responsibility and of course more money to go along with it. You'll need to fill out some paperwork on your current duties. You're okay with that I hope?' When this happens, remember to say yes! It's all too easy for us to accidentally say no to our desires because we hear alarming words like 'more responsibility' and 'department reorganization' instead of the message that the universe has gone out of its way to bring us what we want. That's why it's so important to get aligned with your desires first. If the astrological forces are working, the path will not be what you expected anyway - toss aside your initial Cancer worries and say yes!
Now I don't know what your actual circumstances are. You may be self-employed or a busy stay-at-home Mom. But keep these principles in mind and see if you can't get a little Venus money magic going this month. Good luck and enjoy your birthday presents!
Donate to these organizations that help protect the rights of women worldwide:
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International
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Lucky you, Aries. Venus, a planet associated with love, happens to be spending most of the solar month in your fifth house of - love affairs! Now that's news lots of people would like to hear. So how can you take advantage of this opportunity if you are so inclined? Well, you have until the end of June to do a little Cancer-type intuitive self-evaluation in this area. Are you ready to receive love? If not, what do you need to do to get ready? Direct your attention toward these questions when you have a spare moment and you'll be in a better position to capitalize in July.
When Venus moves into Leo at that time, you can start directing your feeling nature toward re-creating your love life in the manner you desire. Put yourself out there. It's okay to be assertive about it. Do what you need to do to get this sector of your life energized. Mercury is working closely with Venus throughout the month so it pays to get the message out. If this is an area of interest for you, you've got some ideas brewing the back of your mind for things you feel like you kinda ought to do but have been putting off. If you were a clever Aries, you used Venus in Cancer to bring those things forward in your mind. Now in July, start doing them. Do you need a join a dating service but you were hesitant before? Now's the time to take the plunge. Need to check out these online personal services but have been delaying? Now's the time. Blind dates, networking? You get the picture. You know what you need to do and you can do it. You just weren't ready before. Now you are. Go for it! You may or may not meet the man or woman of your dreams right away, but you're an Aries and you'll feel a heck of a lot better knowing you finally did something.
Not interested in love affairs right now? For some additional keywords you can use to customize your own horoscope - click here. For instructions on how to use the keywords - click here.
While Venus (the planetary ruler of your sign) is in Cancer through around the end of June, you have a good opportunity to make enterprising efforts to get yourself in sync with your immediate environment. What do you like about it? What do you dislike about it? What would make it perfect? Or at least somewhat more perfect?
It's worthwhile to get started in this direction because Venus is in Leo in your 4th house of home and property for the rest of the solar month. What this means, if you choose to take advantage of it, is that all that thought you gave to your environment can pay off now. You have the opportunity to get into gear into an intense way to beautify, spiff up, harmonize, upgrade, and generally improve your home and possessions. Home project mania if you're in the mood! Since July is a darn hot month in many parts of the US, there's something inherently refreshing, relaxing, and wonderful about making your home retreat a restful place to host visitors, kick back, enjoy the summer, and blast the air conditioning. And nobody appreciates all these simple pleasures of life more than a good old-fashioned Taurus. Enjoy!
Not in a home decorating kind of mood? For some additional keywords you can use to customize your own horoscope - click here. For instructions on how to use the keywords - click here.
Venus starts the solar month in Cancer in your 2nd house of money, possessions, personal security and the like and remains there until the 29th, working closely with your ruling planet, Mercury. This is almost a divine combination of influences, and hopefully you have been nurturing and nudging along your financial and security goals in response. As long as you keep your Mercury-based wits and objectivity about you, you can attract stuff at this time - as in tangible, material stuff like houses and cars. I'm not saying you will end up with either of these by the end of June, but that's the general principle. The key to working this transit to your benefit is to be conscious of it. You need to be ready and willing to take advantages of the opportunities when and if they appear.
Matters shift focus somewhat when Venus and Mercury move into Leo for about the first three weeks of July. This gives you a very nice opportunity to get along with people, always a pleasant experience. But on a little deeper level, these two planets in the solar 3rd house give you a chance to really look at people and have them willing and able to really look at you as well. As in looking beyond the petty stuff that creates the friction of daily life and into the stuff that really matters - like the spirit.
For additional keywords you can use to customize your horoscope - click here. For instructions on how to use the keywords - click here.
Hi Leo! Venus, the planet of love and money is going to spend the first three weeks of July in your own sign and that's generally considered quite good news. Before it visits your sign, it will spend some time in Cancer in your solar 12th house. Venus represents the feminine principle and the 12th house represents, among other things, principles of self-denial and self-sacrifice. Many women in fact routinely deny themselves and make sacrifices, particularly for family and children. This isn't a bad thing necessarily in and of itself, but with with the Sun, new moon, Mercury, and Venus all in the stomach-sensitive sign of Cancer, there's an opportunity here. And that is to listen to your gut. Are the sacrifices you make in your life the right ones? The ones that feel right? Think about this through the end of June if you can and you'll be in better position to come more fully into your own goddess self when Venus moves into your sign in July. Then it becomes time to listen to your heart. To joyously pursue your own self-centered interests. And if those happen to be along traditionally feminine lines like a makeover, a nice new dress, or some lighthearted flirting, so much the better.
Not particularly interested in the feminine right now? For keywords you can use to customize an alternate interpretation- click here. For instructions on how to use the keywords - click here.
VIRGO: AUGUST 23 - SEPTEMBER 22
So dear Virgo, Venus the goddess of love and beauty is going to be moving through Cancer and Leo this solar month, in your 11th and 12th solar houses. Virgos have as much affinity for love and beauty as anyone else, but with Mercury as their ruler sometimes there is just so much else on their minds! Fortunately, Mercury and Venus will be working quite closely together during this time. By the time July gets into gear, you have a pretty darn powerful opportunity to disintegrate any blocks you have that keep you from fully experiencing the love and beauty in your life and in yourself. You can do this by calling upon your nice anaytical ruler to think about the topic. Where are love and beauty blocked in your life? Is it your aging house that needs repair so that it becomes a pleasure to look at again? Is it some hurt feelings around a friendship? A touch of unself-confidence? The 12th house can give you the power to gain the insights you need to make improvements. And that's always a good thing.
For keywords you can use to customize an alternate interpretation- click here. For instructions on how to use the keywords - click here.
LIBRA: SEPTEMBER 23 - OCTOBER 22
This month's planetary spotlight is on Venus, your traditional ruler. In line with this, Libras often bear a lot of the burden in this world of trying to make sure that Venus values of harmony, beauty, graciousness, justice and so on get their due. This tends to make Libras a bit sensitive in all their social interactions and there's no reason to think that this trend won't continue throughout the solar month. With Venus moving into your solar 11th house of groups and associations in July, there comes an opportunity to put your talents to work in a specific area. You can impress everyone with your sensitivity and skill if you align yourself with a group objective. This could be in your career, volunteer organizations, circle of friends or where ever else you'd like to turn your attention. This is a means by which you can get some of your best results during this time period, so you might want to take advantage of it.
For keywords you can use to customize your horoscope - click here. For instructions on how to use the keywords - click here.
SCORPIO: OCTOBER 23 - NOVEMBER 21
Venus starts the solar month in Cancer in your solar 9th house through around the end of June. This is typically a fairly subtle influence, but often it brings forth opportunities to explore new horizons. Mercury in the same sign may give the influence a boost as well. Sometimes it also brings forward legal matters, although not in a negative way. For example, it is possibe to have a very pleasant jury duty experience under this kind of transit. It opens your eyes, you learn about our civic traditions, meet some interesting people, get some time off work, and then go back to your regular life in a few weeks. I'm not saying this will happen to you but it's the kind of brief but unexpectedly pleasant interlude you can sometimes see with this transit.
Venus moves into Leo and your solar 10th house in July where it will square your sun. Sometimes this produces more material responsibilities and stuff you have to do at work or in other areas. This isn't a bad thing, it's intended to boost your finances. An example would be a few weeks of working some overtime, a bit stressful perhaps but short-lived. And you pocket some extra dough. Again, this is usually a fairly subtle influence but if you are interested in increasing your material rewards, keep your eyes peeled for opportunities to put in some short-term effort for extra bucks. Not a bad opportunity to take advantage of, actually.
For keywords you can use to customize your horoscope - click here. For instructions on how to use the keywords - click here.
SAGITTARIUS: NOVEMBER 22 - DECEMBER 21
Through the end of June a fair number of planets are going to be spending time in Cancer in your solar 8th house. Planets in the solar 8th house often make a Sagittarian feel a bit weird. Odd worries try to poke through, petty resentments, and sometimes a self-pitying feeling that the Sagittarian is making unappreciated sacrifices. This isn't necessarily a prominent influence but it can make a susceptible Sagittarian feel unaccountably dissatisfied. Why this happens I'm not exactly sure except that it seems to have something to do with the chemistry between Cancer and Sag. This June I am going to suggest however that you can channel any vague unease toward wishing very hard for more money for your significant other. You could wish that he or she will get a nice raise and buy you a lovely present. Something nice for the home perhaps; that's always comforting. Hey, with Venus in this sector it could happen! Besides it's more fun than feeling weird.
Venus and Mercury move into Leo and your solar 9th house by July. Sagittarius likes the 9th house; it's the sector traditionally associated with your sign. Now you can use any Sagittarian restlessness to project yourself towards some new horizons. Sagittarians usually like that. Or, since Leo is the sign at work here, just to have some good old-fashioned summer fun.
Don't have a significant other right now? For keywords you can use to customize your horoscope - click here. For instructions on how to use the keywords - click here.
CAPRICORN: DECEMBER 22 - JANUARY 19
Capricorn is not usually known as one of the signs most receptive to Venus energy. The modes of operation of the two forces are quite different. But there are ways for the clever Capricorn native to utilize Venus energy anyway. For example, Venus is never more than about a sign and a half away from the sun, and many Capricorns are quite adept at making use of sun energy. When both the sun and Venus (and Mercury) are in the enterprising sign of Cancer until around the end of June, you can turn your efforts towards your most important relationship. That may be a spouse, significant other, or any important personal relationship. While you use your Capricorn ability to tackle things, Venus can work in the background easing any difficulties. If changes or improvements need to be made in your relationships, Venus can gently lead the way towards new ground. If you do your part, all of this can have the decidedly Venusian effect of bringing more love into your life. Not bad.
While Venus transits Leo in your solar 8th house for the first three weeks of July, you can use Leo's sun-like energy. Leo tends to look at things from its own perspective rather than from the other-centered perspective that some signs favor. The 8th house, however, is a house of shared resources. Again, if you do your part and make typically intense Capricorn efforts to communicate your perspective on marital or any other joint financial matters, Venus can help by bringing forward the perspectives of others. This is pretty handy, as it can result in an increase in either your happiness with your financial situation or an actual tangible improvement in those all-important dollars and cents. And Capricorn likes that very much.
For keywords you can use to customize your horoscope - click here. For instructions on how to use the keywords - click here.
AQUARIUS: JANUARY 20 - FEBRUARY 18
I'm going to continue to urge Aquarians to turn their attention towards their bodies. You guys are looking at Saturn spending a couple of years in your opposite sign of Leo starting in mid-July, a potentially physically draining placement and I'm encouraging you to get ready. Venus is going to be hanging out in your solar 6th house until the 29th of June, along with a boatload of other planets, including Saturn. Saturn in this position may already placed a strain on your physical and health-related resources, but Venus can help. Let your body talk to you about what it needs. Pay particular attention to any stress-related symptoms, such as backaches. If they occur, use this transit to get a massage or other appropriately soothing treatment. But also try to look at what causes them. The solar 6th house also rules your job, an area where many an Aquarian has been known to overdo it with workaholic dedication. On a deeper level, this house represents conformity (a requirement in many jobs) and service to the community. Aquarians are hot to be of service, but they often instinctively feel they are of more service when they don't conform. This creates a push-pull for Aquarians around this house that many Aquarians handle by simultaneously working obsessively hard and developing a multitude of symptoms. This transit provides you with an opportunity to learn to handle this push-pull by a) taking care of yourself and b) undertaking the shockingly un-Aquarian project of allowing others to care for you.
Venus in your opposite sign of Leo for the first three weeks of July offers you several opportunities. One is to allow your significant other to truly touch your heart. Aquarius normally tries to avoid this sort of thing, but go ahead, maybe just this once it won't hurt. And while your significant other is doing this, you'll have an equal opportunity to display for him or her just how steadfast of a lover you really are. You've always been this way, but sometimes those significant others just don't realize it. They have every astrological reason to do so during this transit and you may even get a little unexpected appreciation. If you don't have a significant other, Venus here provides you with an excuse and an opportunity to get out there and circulate in search of one. I can't guarantee true love will come knocking at your door but it could happen and the effort will be enjoyable.
For keywords you can use to customize your horoscope - click here. For instructions on how to use the keywords - click here.
PISCES: FEBRUARY 19 - MARCH 20
Venus continues its transit of your solar 5th house of love affairs through June 29th. If love of all types has been on your mind in June, so much the better, since Venus rules this area of life. The traditional Pisces love nature is diffuse and romantic and Pisces people are generally guided best by their intuition in this area, not their hopes. The opportunity for Pisces with this placement is to get in tune with a condundrum of love that sometimes eludes this ethereal sign. And that is that receiving love is about exposing yourself. It's about putting yourself out there as yourself and not as someone else's ideal of what you should be. The reason this little truism is occasionally hard for a true Pisces to grasp is that many of them instinctively feel that love is something they give others, that it should flow eternally outward from their own inexhaustible source. But those you love need to be able to love you back or the circuit is not complete. Be yourself during this transit, whatever that may mean, and let love take care of itself. That's Venus' job and if you can quit being so darn giving in your romantic relationships and turn that impulse towards community service or other outlets, maybe it will be able to work its subtle magic.
Speaking of community service, Venus will next transit your solar 6th house of such matters through the 3rd week of July. You can use the energetic Leo/Venus combo in the community service sector, in your job, or in the service of improving your own health and efficiency in daily life. I'm almost inclined to advise you to use it for the latter as Saturn is going to be entering this sector mid-way through the month and it will park itself there for a couple of years. You're going to need your energy during this Saturn transit, so I'm going to suggest using Venus here to indulge yourself in some very nice health-related treats. A visit to the spa anyone?
For keywords you can use to customize your horoscope - click here. For instructions on how to use the keywords - click here.
VENUS:
FOR LOVE AND MONEY
I'll confess it took me many years of studying astrology before I realized it wasn't something you 'believe in' or a set of interpretations or facts that are supposed to be 'true'. Once I realized, however, that astrology is actually a collection of human wisdom compiled over literally thousands of years of observation my life began to change and astrology became a powerful tool for good in my life. In fact, the more I look at astrology as an ancient store of wisdom the more impressed I am by astrology's psychological insights.
For example, the planet in this month's spotlight, Venus (traditional ruler of the signs of Taurus and Libra) is astrologically associated with both love and money. This may seem a bit odd, since we all know that love and money are not the same thing. Or do we? Interestingly, love and money occupy the same psychological space in our minds. Perhaps because they are both things that we get from other people.
And that's what Venus is all about. Receiving. For some of us receiving comes easily, as if by divine instinct. Some of us never seem to get the hang of it. It makes us nervous and we prefer to see ourselves as the giver, even with all the resentments that sometimes entails.
If you'd like to give yourself a little bit of a jolt, think about how you handle money and then see how that behavior applies toward your attitudes toward love in your life. When it comes to money, do you feel you never have enough? Are you always in someone else's debt? Is it a mystery to you? A source of difficulty? Something you don't like to look at to closely? Something you hoard? Are you self-reliant or often dependent on others. It's an interesting way of examining what may underlie some of your fundamental beliefs about the availability of love in the world, not just romantic but all kinds.
It's an odd fact that those with very little money can feel as though their lives overflow with abundance. And those with a great deal of money can feel extremely restricted. In the end, it seems love has a more positive effect on the quality of our lives than money. And pursuing one does not necessarily lead to the other, hard as it is for many of us to realize that.
Tracking how Venus operates in your life as it travels around the zodiac can give you some clues as to what areas of your life have a comfortable receiving energy and those that present more difficulty. Perhaps you receive accolades at work but feel unappreciated by your family. Or vice versa. Working with Venus transits can help you shore up the weak spots in your ability to receive.
You can work with Venus transits in the practical Taurean way or in the more communicative Libran way. If you prefer the Taurean method, you simply take action to get more in the sector where Venus is located during a particular time period. Tracking your results tells you where Venus works easily for you and where it doesn't. Of course practice makes perfect in using this method and you'll get better as time goes on.
If you prefer the Libran method, you teach yourself to talk honestly about your feelings and desires regarding a particular sector while Venus transits it - and you see what kind of response you get. This gives you feedback on how the universe is perceiving you and helps clarify the sometimes vague or hesitant feelings that plague all of us from time to time. Sometimes it allows you to realize you are getting a lot more love from the universe than you realized - an advantage the practical method of simply exerting effort doesn't always provide.
Perhaps the most powerful way to use Venus is to combine these two methods with the simple act of paying attention. So many of our greatest heartaches in both love and money come because we are simply operating on outdated assumptions and don't realize it. We are so used to doing what we do that we no longer notice how well it works for us. Taking a few moments to ponder this gentle, harmonious planet can help us heal our past disappointment in both these areas so crucial to our well-being on this crazy, crowded Earth we call home.
If you want to track Venus' position throughout the year, Astrology.com provides a monthly ephemeris here. And astro.com provides an ephemeris accessible via its home page.
Some additonal keywords for Venus: Emotions, sociability, pleasure in food, amorous affections, sensual pleasure, harmony, passivity, steadiness, serenity, vanity, subjective judgment, and femininity.
Some keywords for Cancer: Passivity, introversion, emotions, intuition, shyness, enterprise, psychological defenses, sensitivity, protective urges, nourishment, clinginess, and tenderness.
Some keywords for Leo: Assertive, self-expressive, spontaneous, extraverted, energetic, intense, loyal, powerful, impressive, authority, royalty, and dignity.
Some Keywords for the 1st house: Self-centered interests, physical appearance, vitality, and one's attitudes.
Some keywords for the 2nd house: Possessions, money, productivity, income, resources, personal security, comfort, tangible assets, and the ability to enjoy contentment.
Some keywords for the 3rd house: Adaptability, communication, acquaintances, the immediate environment, relatives, neighbors, short journeys, mental activities, daily life, and messages.
Some keywords for the 4th house: Family, home, the inner self, parental influences, and property matters.
Some keywords for the 5th house: Creativity, fun, gambling, speculation, love affairs, talents, and children.
Some keywords for the 6th house: Conformity, efficiency, service to the community, health, employees, routines, and one's job.
Some keywords for the 7th house: Significant personal relationships, harmony, partnerships, marriage, who one is attracted to, one's shadow side, dealings with the public, and how one gets along with others.
Some keywords for the 8th house: Joint finances, shared resources, bequests, legacies, self-destructive impulses, regeneration, death, mystery, sex, and the deepest level of relating to others.
Some keywords for the 9th house: Broad-mindedness, getting out of the rut of everyday life, travel, deep study, advanced education, philosophy, the law, publishing, religion, the collective unconscious, and broadening contacts with others.
Some keywords for the 10th house: Social status, the career, responsibility, success, role in the community and activities outside the home.
Some keywords for the 11th house: Humanitarians, group activities, globalization, friendships, reform, unconventionality, clubs, associations, hopes, and wishes.
Some keywords for the 12th house: Self-denial, disintegration, escapism, confinement, suggestibility, confusion, wholeness, transcendence, spirituality, isolation, withdrawal, and hospitals.
HOW TO USE KEYWORDS: The essence of learning astrology is understanding how to mix, match, and blend the concepts associated with signs, planets, and houses to figure out what is or will be affecting you at a given point in time. This takes practice and practice is exactly what you're going to have a chance to get if you use the keywords each month.
Keywords can be used to plan and take action using the month's energies, to explain events or to make predictions. Scan for keywords that seem relevant to situations in your own life. You'll have 3 sets of keywords you can blend, one for the planet discussed, one for the sign it's in and one for the solar house it's transiting. Pick the keywords that interest you most and create your customized horoscope!
For example, if the Sun is in Aries in your solar first house, if you want to plan or take action you might pick the Sun keyword 'power', the Aries keyword 'initiating', and the 1st house keyword 'self-expression' to create an intention for yourself that you have the power to initiate actions to express yourself more fully in ways that you desire. You'll know what 'self-expression' means to you. It works best if you pick keywords that 'speak' to you or that coincide with elements of your life that already concern you. To receive astrological benefits, it's not necessary that you obligate yourself to do something huge - it's only necessary that you take one step in the right direction at the right time. Astrology concerns itself with when things are born, and if you start something at the right time, you're riding on the energy that's already available to you in the universe.
You can also use the keywords to try to figure out if something that is affecting you is 'in the stars'. For example, let's say you find yourself wondering why you're getting drawn into conflicts with people at your church. You scan the keywords and realize 'Aha! The fiery energy of Aries is currently being activated in my 12th house of faith-related matters!' If the energy is uncomfortable, you'll have a gauge as to how long it will be prominent (oh good, it should ease up next month!) or if it's a good energy you'll know which planet to thank!
You can also try your hand at predicting. If you check in at the beginning of the month and notice that your house of friendships is highlighted along with some active planetary or sign energies, you might predict for yourself that you will be engaging in a lot more fun and restorative activities with your friends in the coming month. This is basically what professional astrologers do and now you have a chance to try your own hand at it and compare your results with the pros. Have fun!
NOTE: There are a wide variety of potential keywords associated with each sign, planet, and house. I pick different ones each month to give you an idea of the range from the most common concepts to much more subtle ones. Over time, you'll gain an intuitive sense of what kinds of concepts are associated with each element and you'll even be able to generate your own keywords as you get a feel for each of the signs, planets, and houses. Each keyword also inherently contains its opposite as well. For example, if the keyword 'divorce' is displayed, it doesn't mean you'll get a divorce. But it does mean that if that is a concern for you and something you want to avoid you have an opportunity, while that energy is activated, to take proactive steps to deal with potential problems or head off an undesirable outcome. So you can turn 'divorce' into 'keeping a marriage together' or 'illness' into 'taking steps to get and stay healthy'.
Use your rising sign for better forecasts! Most published horoscopes are based at least in part on transits to solar houses. Solar houses are based on your sun sign and are easy to calculate. Your sun sign is your solar 1st house, the next sign in the zodiac is your solar 2nd house and so on. You can always determine what solar house a planet is in if you know the sign. Simply start with your own sign and count around the zodiac until you reach the sign you're interested in. For example, if you're a Gemini, the sign of your solar 3rd house is Leo. Pisces is the sign of your solar 10th house. Astrologers who publish horoscopes use sun signs and solar houses for several reasons: a) almost everyone knows their birthday; b) they're easy to calculate; and c) they actually do have some effect. However, if you get a personal reading from a professional astrologer, he or she will almost always use transits to your natal houses to give you a reading instead. Natal houses are based on your rising sign, which is determined by the exact time, place, and day you were born. Transits to your natal planets and houses have at least as much effect on your life as transits to your solar houses, sometimes quite a bit more. If you really want to know your chart, and get better horoscopes, you should find out your rising sign (also called Ascendant). If you know the exact time and place of your birth, you can do this for free at a wonderful website - www.astro.com. Click on the link near the top that says 'Free Horoscopes'. On that page, scroll down to the link that says 'Chart Drawing, Ascendant'. Follow the prompts to enter the information concerning your birth time, date, and place. You'll get a chart that shows your Ascendant (the sign next to the designation 'AC'). To the left will be a box listing your planetary placements. Next to the listing for 'AC' your rising sign will be listed along with the degree of your Ascendant within that sign. Make a note of that sign and be sure to check the horoscope and keywords for your Ascendant as well as your sun sign!
TRACK YOUR RESULTS! Next month when you come back here for your next horoscope, take 30 seconds to assess the results of the action you took last month as a result of your horoscope. Did it make you feel better? Did it make your life any better? Did it give you renewed energy or did you find your effort blocked, delayed, or ineffective? Judging your results allows you to assess how responsive you are to a particular planetary, sign, or house energy. For example, some people are very responsive to the astrological Sun just the way some people are very responsive to a sunny day. Other people work better with the energy of other planets. Only by taking a moment to gauge your results can you learn which planets work best for you in your life. You may have an 'afflicted' natal Sun that never does much for you, but a raring-to-go Mars that will help you in a pinch every time. Checking your results each month will give you an increasingly accurate guide as to how to use astrology to enhance your life.
The PRACTICAL ASTROLOGY website provides a free, sequential course in astrology with at least one article each month on a particular element of horoscope interpretation. If you want to see any articles you've missed, or to receive each month's update by email, sign up using the link below. The Practical Astrology website does not share your email address with anyone else and only uses it to provide you with information concerning astrology from this website. Sign up!