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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.
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the sun's journey and the birthday blues
the myth of mercury retrograde
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 Leo this month.
The new
moon is on August 5. Click here to read about
the opportunity presented by the new
moon each month
The full moon is on August 19. Click here to read about using the full moon energy each month
Mercury is retrograde in Leo - don't worry about it - click here to find out why
Venus is in Virgo for most of the solar month.
Previous Months Horoscopes for your reference:
June - July (Cancer)
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MARS IN THE 10TH HOUSE SPELLS CAREER OPPORTUNITY
Happy Birthday, Leo! This birthday actually represents the beginning of a fairly significant period for you. Saturn entered your sign on July 16 and will stay there for a little over two years. Saturn is a slow-moving planet and in my experience it usually takes a good two or three months to feel much of an effect when it changes signs so we'll talk about it more detail when we focus on Saturn later in the year. Still, the intention of the universe is to help you experience some changes over the next couple years and things are starting now.
The first thing I need to address is the S-word. Stress. And how to prepare for the possibility and capitalize on the opportunities. Here's what's happening. The planets are moving so that by the end of the year there will be planets in all four fixed signs, falling on key angles of your solar chart. These angles are in what's called square aspect to each other--square being an astrological code word for potential stress.
Let's break down what this means for you. First, Saturn moved into Leo and your solar 1st house of personal needs. At the end of July, Mars moves into Taurus and your solar 10th house of career. At the end of October, Jupiter will move into Scorpio and your solar 4th house of home and family. And Neptune is already planted in Aquarius in your solar 7th house of marriage.
The reason astrology designates these aspects as square or stressful aspects is that in real life, these four key areas of life tend to compete for our attention. We are all constantly managing the balance between self, family, love or marriage, and career or other activities. With a planet in each sector, you may find yourself pulled in a number of different directions by the end of the year.
There are a few things to keep in mind as you get ready for this potentially quite productive period (square or stressful periods are often the most productive). One is that Saturn in your first house, although it gets a bad rap in some astrology circles, can be your friend. Saturn tends to tamp things down and in this position it can tamp down your personal needs, allowing you to get focused and organized while effectively prioritizing your attention to other areas of your life. Another things is that Jupiter, which will be in your 4th house of home and family, is a beneficial planet. Although it may expand your activities in this area, it usually tries to do so in a good way. A third is that Neptune has been in Aquarius for a long time and you are probably used to it by now. It may have brought your partner's spacy qualities to the fore, but you have more than likely learned to deal (let's hope so!), so it will hopefully not create any more stress in that area than you are already used to coping with.
And that leaves us with Mars. Mars is the planet that's going to want the bulk of your attention for a few months and it represents an incredible opportunity for you to move forward in your career, public image, self-esteem, recognition, and activities outside the home. I want to emphasize that it's important to jump on this opportunity now before things heat up later in the year. Mars is going to be in your 10th house for an unusually long time by Mars standards, but this period will be over by mid-February. Furthermore, the planets are configured so that they aren't lining up in an exact (very stressful) square configuration but are willing to negotiate with each other, which should mean it will be a little easier to work with this powerful Mars energy even with other things going on in your life.
How can you use this opportunity? Well, a good dose of Mars energy can almost accomplish the impossible so let's put it to work. One way to do so is to make a list of about half a dozen things you want to accomplish or feel like you should accomplish in your career or life outside the home, but it seems there are too many obstacles. Mars loves demolishing obstacles and it can really help you now.
Let's say for example you want to publish a children's book. But....you haven't organized your ideas yet, you don't have time to write with two small children, you don't know any publishers, and you need an illustrator. Lots of obstacles. Write them down, about 6 of them, things you need to get around to achieve your dreams. The reason we want a good half dozen is that Mars is going to be moving forward and then retrograding and then moving forward again, and inevitably you are going to hit a dead end on some of the goals here and there. It pays to have some backup goals on hand, so you can continue to make progress even if stalled in one area.
Starting at the end of July, review your list of goals every single day, preferably first thing in the morning and train your attention on them. If you can think of even one small thing you can do to make progress on a goal that day - do it! If you can't, keep the thought of what you want to accomplish tucked in the back of your mind throughout the day. Things will happen! You may not make progress on all half dozen things each day but if you practice, practice, practice believing that you can accomplish during this period, the universe will work with you. People will mention publishers they know, illustrators will pop out of the woodwork, your determination will grow, your schedule will shift and you will find a way to get things done. You will be amazed at how much you can get done by mid-February and your once far-off dream of publishing a children's book will be much much closer to a feasible reality.
This is the sort of area where astrology can be priceless. It doesn't drop things in your lap, but if you work with it, it can make the difference between an unfulfilled dream and a fulfilled one. This is your month, Leo! The sun is in your sign, the new moon on August 5 is in your sign, Mercury is in your sign (don't worry about the retrograde, click here to find out why), Saturn is here to help organize you and Venus spends most of the solar month in your 2nd house of potentially increasing your income. That's a lot of help on your side! Get started now! Always remember that you are a Leo and you can do anything.
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At the end of July, your ruler Mars is going to move into Taurus in your solar 2nd house of money, income, possessions, and the like. And then it's going to park itself there for an unusually long time, a little over 6 months. It doesn't do this sort of thing all that often and it may take a bit of getting used to. Being that Mars is your ruler, this is something worth paying attention to, particularly since other planets are getting ready to shift about later in the year and some of them may prove a bit distracting. Saturn has already moved (as of July 16 or so depending on where you live) out of your solar 4th house of home and family and into your 5th house of love affairs, creativity, and children. This is generally a good thing, but the chances are that you will not feel much effect from that for a while, and that money matters will demand your attention more urgently over the next couple of months, whether you wish them or not.
So what does Mars' long stay in Taurus mean to you? Well, a lot of astrologers would tell you that it means you'll be spending a lot of money since Mars is associated with spending and outflow. But that's not necessarily a given. The essence of this long transit is actually that it represents a prolonged opportunity for you to learn how to be sensible. You can't get a more sensible sign than Taurus, and the universe is giving you a good 6 months to learn the rules of money and how to be careful with it. Whether you want to learn how to be sensible and careful is your affair, but the universe is willing to give you all the assistance it can if you care to take advantage of it. I'm going to gently suggest that you do take advantage of it and train your keen mental efforts and determination toward getting your financial house in order. Aries people, bless their generous little hearts, have a tendency to get burned in this area from time to time and maybe it's okay to learn how to avoid that in the future. On another note, Mars is going to spend a fair amount of its time in Taurus retrograding (starting in October), an occasion which can make you more accident-prone. Brush up on your safety habits now and by October you'll be on auto-pilot and can hopefully avoid the temptation to back your car into a streetlamp or something.
For some additional keywords you can use to customize your own horoscope - click here. For instructions on how to use the keywords - click here.
Hello Taurus! Like the other fixed signs you are scheduled to have a fair amount going on by the end of the year. In fact, you may want to take a look at the first few paragraphs of the horsocope for Leo to get an idea of what will be going on. But before you get too mesmerized by the stress word that appears in that horoscope, I want to emphasize that having Mars in your own sign for 6 months as of the end of July is an unusually friendly configuration. And you can use it for pursuing whatever kind of goal you want.
As of the end of July, you have until mid-February to behave in a forceful yet magnificently firm and solid Taurean-like manner in pursuing your desires. Put a smile on your face and go out to meet the world and convince it to give you what you want. Put a smile on your face even if you don't particularly feel like smiling (happens to all of us from time to time). Because if you look for opportunities to get what you want you will find them. The more doggedly and steadfastly you pursue your agenda during this period, the better results you are likely to achieve by the time Mars leaves your sign. You don't need to be hasty, rash, or hurried, you just need to be able to not take no for an answer. Mars in your sign doesn't mean you won't hear the 'no' word. It just means that you don't have to be deterred or convinced by it that you can't get what you want eventually. Because in fact, you probably can. Practice believing this and you are likely to get a lot more out of this period than you ever would have expected.
For some additional keywords you can use to customize your own horoscope - click here. For instructions on how to use the keywords - click here.
At the end of July, Mars is going to move into Taurus and your solar 12th house for an unusually long time, about 6 months. This is a placement with a fair number of inherent contradictions and it may take awhile for you to figure out what to do with them. For example, Mars is a planet that favors frenetic activity, whereas Taurus doesn't really approve of that sort of thing. Meanwhile, the 12th house likes to sit in the lotus position and contemplate its own navel, another thing that's not exactly the Martian strong suit. And none of these influences may exactly fit with your own restless Gemini sun.
So what to make of this? Here's my suggestion. Take some time, starting now, to think (and think hard if you'd like) about what you want from 2006. A fair number of things are going to be different in the sky in 2006 and maybe you'd like your life to be a bit different too. By mid-February 2006, Mars will move into your own sign, theoretically allowing you to take assertive action on your own behalf. But until then, the position of Mars suggests that you need to do some sorting out of things in your own mind.
Mars is really the planet of activity and one of the activities Gemini is best at is thinking. Time you spend thinking is not wasted. In fact, a lot of Geminis are quite good at spinning what-if scenarios in their minds and it might be helpful if you engaged in a little positive 'what-if' thinking these days. Here's a few to get you started. What if things could be the way you wanted them? What would that look like and how would it work? What if the universe was always working on your behalf even when it didn't seem like it? What's going on now that you could twist around to your own benefit? What if you could have all the fun, joy, wonder, and pleasure you wanted in your life? What would that be like and how could you make that happen? A little recreational fantasizing these days won't necessarily turn your life around on a dime, but I'm pretty sure it couldn't hurt.
For additional keywords you can use to customize your horoscope - click here. For instructions on how to use the keywords - click here.
Happy Cancer! Saturn moved out of your sign on July 16 and we're going to take that as good news. You may have a learned a lot during its transit but 2 1/2 years of Saturn in one's own sign is generally enough for anyone. It gets kind of old, you know? You may not notice much of a difference in your personal life for a couple of months since Saturn is kind of a slowpoke planet and its changes show up gradually in most cases. We'll talk more about its move into Leo when we spotlight Saturn later in the year. But for now, you have full permission to forget about Saturn and turn your attention towards Mars' rather unusual move into Taurus at the end of July for a good 6 months (until mid-February 2006).
What can you use Mars in your solar 11th house for? Making friends! Although not all of them admit it publicly a lot of Cancers are naturally shy due partly to their rather sensitive nervous systems. Mars in this position will make any hidden insecurities in this area less important. In fact, you can awe and impress your friends with your social poise during this period if you choose to channel your energies this way. I'm not saying you have to be super-outgoing if that's not your preferred style. In fact, if you'd like, you can use this energy to spend time with people whose own natural energy will open up your world. In fact, that's what Mars in this sector is really about. Opening up your world. Poetry, intellectual pursuits, crazy stunts, a different way of doing things, things that would be fun but you never do...whatever you'd like to open up your no longer Saturn-restricted world is all good. Play a little. You deserve it. Here's a resolution for you, if you'd like to adopt it: Resolve that for the next 6 months, you are not going to be bored. Whenever that feeling creeps in, go out and do something fun! Now that's a pretty good opportunity.
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 Virgo, this month we're going to spotlight Mars' move at the end of July into Taurus and your solar 9th house for an unusually long 6 month stay (until mid-February 2006). This sort of a placement can mean a lot of different things but since a good percentage of Virgos have been under relationship stress due to the presence of Uranus in the opposite of sign of Pisces, I'm going to talk a a little bit about its potential effect on relationships. Over the past couple of years, it may have been difficult for you to take the lead in this area, a situation somewhat foreign to the natural Virgo style.
One of the things that Mars in this position can do is help open up your opportunities to have the conversations you need to have with others (not just your significant other, the 9th house will converse with anyone, it loves to talk!). This is good for Virgo, a rather verbal sign. You can even get some beautiful results over the latter half of this year simply by being willing to engage in discussion.
One thing I should warn you about though is that Mars is the planet of anger and the frustration that built up while Mars was in your solar 7th and 8th houses over the past couple months may come spilling out (even if you weren't previously aware of that frustration). It may even come spilling out in a rather un-Virgoan irrational way. That's good. (Mars will be in a favorable sextile to Uranus allowing you some release.) The reason this release is good is because it's honest. And you Virgos need to be honest these days. In fact, the 9th house is the natural home of intellectual honesty - and if you can use that Mars emotional energy to get some stuff off your chest, your ability to be intellectually honest with yourself and others will increase. This will make you happy because Virgos like intellectual honesty and clarity and with Uranus messing with your sun that may have been hard to come by lately.
So talk, dear Virgo, talk. Talk things through. With whoever will listen whenever they'll listen. Saturn has finally left your 11th solar house of friendship where it's been kind of isolating you and that can make more conversation partners available to you finally. And since you won't really know where you stand until you dump the emotions that have been roiling around in your chest, take the time now to dump them. By 2006, you'll be in a whole different place with a different way of looking at things.
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 we're spotlighting Mars which at the end of July moves into Taurus and your solar 8th house until mid-February 2006. This position poses a bit of a quandary and Mars may not know exactly what to do here. Should it get angry (as is its wont) and brood on its resentments or on whatever 8th house type traumas may have occurred in your life? Should it get busy defending your interests in whatever complicated interpersonal relationships you as a Libra have managed to get yourself involved in? Or should it fold its arms over its chest in typical Taurean fashion and refuse to do anything (except perhaps sulk)? None of these approaches fit the usual Libra style and if you feel a little out of sorts during the latter half of this year, feel free to blame it on Mars.
Here's my suggestion for this period. Go with the flow. Whatever happens, happens. This somewhat disarranged influence will pass in time. Mars' position in this house suggests that other people are probably holding the cards right now and that any number of interesting events may come to pass, positive or otherwise. The only thing you can realistically do is trust that everything will all work out in the end--because in fact it probably will. In fact, with Taurus on your side, no matter what kind of water flows under the bridge, in the end you will prevail.
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
So Scorpio you are one of the fixed signs scheduled to see some interesting planetary activity by the end of the year. You may want to read the first few paragraphs of the horoscope for Leo to see which planets will be moving into which fixed signs. This month, we're spotlighting Mars' move into your opposite sign of Taurus in your 7th solar house.
The universe has been working on your relationships over the past couple of years and this influence continues the theme. In fact, it may cause some conflicts for you in that sector. The essential question is do you want to engage in the dance of relationship right now or do you not want to. Some parts of you may be hot to trot while others want to sit things out for awhile. Mars highlights this ambivalence. By the time of your birthday, Jupiter will have moved into your own sign and you may feel that your own personal growth should take precedence over knotty relationship issues for awhile. Your partner may not agree so the thing to do is figure some of this stuff out now before Jupiter locks into position at the end of October. There's no right or wrong answer and some negotiation may be required--so the sooner you get started exercising your magnificent brain on these questions, the easier things may be later.
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
The sign of Sagittarius generally gets along with the planet Mars since both have a tendency to dislike injustice and to like voicing their opinions without timidity. Mars in Taurus in your 6th solar house of work is a relatively boring position for Mars from the Sagittarian point of view though. I bring this up because this is exactly where Mars is going to hang out for the unusually long period of 6 months (from the end of July til mid-February 2006). In a way, this is good news though and things may be looking up these days for many Sagittarians. Saturn has moved out of its difficult (and to Sagittarius annoying) position in Cancer as of July 16 and that's one less thing you'll have to worry about over the coming months. Meanwhile, with Mars in the stable sign of Taurus you have a primo opportunity to get yourself all organized and maybe even mentally clear. You can do this at work by clearing things out with Mars' helpful boost of energy, or you could get ambitious at home and do a major summer cleaning. If that doesn't appeal, you can also use this energy to hire some help (a cleaning service anyone?) and get someone else to clear things out for you. That doesn't sound half bad to me.
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 you have a potentially interesting 6 months ahead of you. Mars is going to be moving into Taurus and your solar 5th house of love and romance at the end of July where it will stay until mid-February 2006. While those looking for romance may welcome any planetary activity in their 5th house, the interesting portion of the equation comes from Mars' fiery nature. Mars is the kind of planet that encourages people to tell off the cop who pulled them over for speeding--and that is not exactly the natural Capricorn style. It also encourages risks, an approach that is also not the strong suit of the naturally cautious sign of the goat.
Consequently, you may find yourself taking uncharacteristic risks in the area of romance and putting yourself a bit on edge in the process. You may also discover yourself getting uncharacteristically annoyed with your lover, boyfriend, girlfriend or even children. (The 5th house also deals with one's offspring and Mars does like to encourage interpersonal conflict.) In fact, you may even find yourself getting strangely furious with them for no clearly discernible reason. A tinge of jealousy and possessiveness may rear its head as well. (Taurus is a pretty darn jealous and possessive sign.)
Now this may not exactly sound like good news to you (6 months of fighting with my boyfriend-oh no!) and of course you can handle it any way you like. You can even limit your verbal comments to your loved ones to monosyllables like 'yeah', if you'd like to keep a lid on yourself. But I'm going to encourage you to look at this transit in another way. The planets don't generally park themselves in a sign for an unusually long time without a good reason and for you Capricorns the good reason for Mars' long stay in your 5th house is that often you people need to learn to express yourselves.
You may not feel especially skilled at verbally expressing the normal annoyance and anger all of us feel from time to time in our relationships, but you have an excellent chance to improve your conflict resolution skills now. In fact, the glorious beauty of a nice long engagement with Martian energy is that we learn how to resolve conflict on an emotional as well as practical level. And that's a good thing. Mars is going to helpfully retrograde mid-cycle and then move forward again, giving you an excellent chance to learn to fine-tune how you deal with those you love. Of course, you don't have to take advantage of this opportunity and you can spend the next 6 months studiously not being annoyed with anyone. But maybe it would be better if you didn't avoid this energy. Your call.
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
Aquarius, I'm going to forgive you if you spend the last half of this year feeling like you've somehow accidentally jumped from the frying pan into the fire. Planets are moving into all four fixed signs by the end of the year, and as a fixed sign resident yourself you will probably feel the effects of this more than most. You may feel, in fact, like you are being pulled in four different directions. (Read the first few paragraphs of the horoscope for Leo if you want to see which planets are moving into which signs.) Saturn in Cancer was probably not your favorite placement and it remains to be seen how you'll feel about Saturn in your opposite sign of Leo. You probably won't feel much effect from Saturn's change of signs for a couple of months, since Saturn tends to work on a delayed reaction basis, so in the meantime we'll turn our attention to Mars' move into your solar 4th house of home and family in the sign of Taurus. Mars enters this position at the end of July and will spend time there until mid-February 2006.
Now Mars in Taurus over the next 6 months can play out in all kinds of ways. I'm going to highlight one potential effect since this sort of thing seems to affect many Aquarians. The solar 4th house of home and family is the house that deals with our relationships with our parents and our family of origin. Although many Aquarians love their parents dearly, it is part of the karma of Aquarius for many to feel somehow that their childhood or their parents are some sort of albatross around their neck. That's there some wound there or lifelong feeling of impairment. This happens because the sign of Aquarius is actually oversensitive and oversympathetic and over-discerning of parental conflicts, ambivalent feelings, self-deceit, heartbreaks and other human failings. This isn't really the sort of enhanced perception that makes a child feel secure and consequently it's hard for the by the book Aquarian to feel he or she ever really had a childhood.
Mars in the 4th can bring this sort of old wound to the surface in a rather annoying way, particularly when it's busy squaring other planets by sign. And feelings may get triggered by family members or things in your current domestic situation. So I'm going to point something out to you now, just in case feelings do arise between now and the end of the year. And that is that there is no albatross around your neck. You're fine. You're a little weird (I mean quirky), but that's fine. You're fine. You always were fine. There's nothing wrong with you, whatever your childhood or parents were like. I'm not saying that everyone you may have had to deal with is fine, but you are. Anything that Mars may bring to the surface between now and the end of the year, and however irrationally it may play out in the momentary drama of your mind, is a blessed opportunity to just feel it and get rid of it forever. Let it go. You have too much other stuff to deal with these days so just dump it and move on. And that's my unsolicited advice for you dear Aquarius.
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
At the end of July, Mars is going to move into Taurus and your solar 3rd house of communication and daily affairs. While there, it is going to spend 6 months (until mid-February 2006) trying desperately hard to do two important things. The first thing it's going to try to do is take dead aim at your communication skills in hopes of convincing you to get straight to the point with no frills or hesitation.
Is this possible for a Pisces? Pisces perceptions are so holistic, integrated, and big picture that it's sometimes difficult to find the point let alone get to it expeditiously. Would it even be pleasurable to get to the point straightaway or would that take all the fun out of communicating? Well, Mars thinks that your natural Pisces communication style is fine up to a point and then it's too much. So it's going to institute what it hopes will be corrective action. It will attempt to convince you by means of impatience and necessity that even you don't want to hear or say anything these days except 'just the facts ma'am.'
It will attempt to swing you around to its way of thinking by instituting a second important thing - making you very busy. If Mars has its way over the rest of the year you will be so busy with your daily life that the bulk of your energy will just go into managing it. You may find this fun and exhilarating or you may find it kind of wearing. Saturn in Leo may eventually start heating up your work life in a major way and when Jupiter moves into Scorpio you may be spending some time on additional education or study as well. So you have the potential to have a lot on your plate by the end of the year. But the point of all this is that Mars in this sector is giving you an amazing opportunity to be as productive a Pisces as possible. And that's a tremendously good feeling. So start telling yourself now 'I am a decisive Pisces and I will get a lot done this year. Yeah!'
For keywords you can use to customize your horoscope - click here. For instructions on how to use the keywords - click here.
MARS:
THE FIERY PLANET
Mars, the fiery natural ruler of the sign Aries, is one of those planets that produces decidedly mixed reactions in people. With Mars spending the entire rest of the year and into 2006 moving forward and backward and then forward again in the sign of Taurus, almost all of us will have a chance to feel its mixed effects.
Whenever an inner planet spends an unusually long time in a sign, complete with retrogrades, it gives everyone an opportunity to gauge how that particular planet affects them. A lot of times inner planets with their relatively quick transits are like so much background noise in life. It can be difficult to determine if a particular event was triggered by a planetary configuration or just a normal case of PMS. If you get through the rest of the year without noticing a dang thing different that's a pretty good clue that you are not very Mars responsive. If that's the case, you'll want to devote more energy to working with the transits of planets that have more effect on you.
If you are Mars responsive, there are usually a couple of different ways it could go. For some people, Mars is a blessing. It's the planet of daring, of enterprise, initiative, and courage. For these people, Mars gives a welcome shot of energy to the sector it tours. It allows them to take risks with timing and resolve. It gives them the willingness and ability to get difficult things accomplished. It helps them get off their butts and do something in the areas that are important to them. It allows them to take charge. And it nullifies lingering insecurities by replacing them with determination. That's a pretty good set of advantages.
I've seen people accomplish what look like miracles through sheer Mars-driven persistence and willingness to fight for their truth. My hat is always off to these people; they get important things done. Mars at its best has a sort of moral stamina that allows it to correct the injustices of the world. If you pay attention during Mars' long tour of Taurus and find yourself to be one of these people, tracking the position of Mars can become a good way to decide what areas to focus your greatest energies on.
For others, Mars carries exactly the kind of energy that makes them wary. It can literally cause accidents, and its energy is almost painful to some. Really susceptible people can even fall ill under a difficult Mars transit. Mars in Taurus is a particularly stubborn placement and if you find yourself under a lot of strain during its tour, it may be an indication that you're not particularly compatible with its energy. Interpersonal conflicts can pop up, anger, crankiness, and a feeling of overstimulation in the particular house it's traveling.
If you're the kind of person who has a feeling you don't much like Mars, there a couple of different ways to handle it. One is to note the area it's affecting and exercise particular caution in those kinds of activities. Restrain your temper and just be extra careful. The other way to handle it is to use its fiery energy to build your strength in that particular area. Being willing to be active in the matters it's highlighting can do a whole lot to prevent this planet from becoming a frustrating pain in the neck.
All of us actually need Mars energy, even though some of us prefer to avoid it. For the majority of people, perhaps, it shows both its positive and difficult sides, depending on how things are going for us in a particular part of our life. For me personally, I've already decided that Mars is going to give me some willpower this year. I could always use a little of that. And I figure that deciding what I want it to do couldn't hurt. Might help. And I hope this fiery planet helps you this year too.
Some additonal keywords for Mars: Rash behavior, accidents or injuries, fiery temper, strength, toughness, stubborn ability to carry on despite adverse circumstances, anger, impatience, frustration, forcefulness, determination, violence, and action.
Some keywords for Taurus: Fertility, deliberation, bull-headed stubborness, firmness, grace, love of home, natural earthiness, slowness, ownership of property and possessions, patience, resistance to change, and devotion.
Some Keywords for the 1st house: Attitude toward one's self, one's basic nature, self-centered interests, physical appearance, and vitality.
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!