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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.
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MONTHLY HOROSCOPE FOR ALL SIGNS
Calendar:
The sun is in Gemini this month.
The new
moon is on June 6. Click here to read about
the opportunity presented by the new
moon each month
The full moon is on May 23rd. Click here to read about using the full moon energy each month
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SPECIAL HOROSCOPE FOR GEMINI: (MAY 20 - JUNE 20)
The role of Mercury...
Happy Birthday, Gemini! This month's topic is Mercury, your ruling planet (specifically we'll address the myth of Mercury Retrograde). But let's talk about you and Mercury for a moment. Mercury is traditionally considered to be the messenger planet and in mythology his duty was to race around bearing messages and running errands for the gods, facilitating the daily business of life. Qualities associated with the sign of Gemini (and by extension with Mercury) include the ability to connect, facility with words, the need for a certain distance from others (to ensure accuracy and objectivity of the messages being delivered), the desire to get out and about in the company of many people, being particular about things, non-stop talking, and a vacillating nature. Some Geminis embody these characteristics to a T! And some do not. But even a closet Gemini (one hiding behind a much different Ascendant for example) usually experiences the ceaseless activity of the mind also characteristic of Mercury. Mercury is an intensely thought-based planet and that's what we're going to turn our attention to this month.
It's also a very speedy planet and this month it travels through three (count 'em three) signs, including your own, giving you one of your best opportunities to assess the affect of your ruling planet on your life. It begins the astrological month in Taurus, enters your own sign of Gemini on approximately May 29th (depending where exactly you live) where it will party with the moon and sun on June 6 for your yearly new moon, and then it will zoom into Cancer on June 12th.
So what does this mean to you? Well, let's find out. Mercury in Taurus means the messenger planet is in your 12th house, where it typically likes to lay back, be receptive to other people's messages for once and just rely on instinct. Mercury in the 12th house is almost like Mercury on vacation, more contemplative and intuitive than usual. This represents an opportunity then for you, the clever Gemini, to kick back a bit, and listen to what other people have to say until May 29th. This business of absorbing other people's messages could serve you very well when the planet moves into your own sign and takes a more active role. It gives you a chance to gather your thoughts in preparation for your birthday and the new moon. Good deal! I suggest you take it.
Once Mercury moves into Gemini it becomes your turn to talk. Since the new Moon will also be in your sign on June 6th, you have another opportunity with this configuration to utilize your imaginative capacities to communicate what you would like from your life over the next year. (The New Moon in your sign is similar in effect to the old tradition of making a birthday wish.) The week following the new Moon is the time to a) take at least one concrete action toward making your fantasies come true; and b) be sure to use talk-happy Mercury to tell at least one person the story of your life over the next year - as you wish it would occur. Can't get much better than that!
Finally, Mercury moves into Cancer on June 12th, where it will inhabit your solar second house until June 29th. The sign of Cancer often has the function of nurturing & developing things in their embryo state (such as your efforts toward obtaining what you would like from your life over the next year). So this represents yet another opportunity to further your goals. Use Mercury in Cancer to spot the potential in your ideas - and to gently weed out what doesn't have as much potential.
Since the 2nd house is associated with business transactions and so is Mercury, you can also use this period to nudge along any efforts you might be making in the financial arena. You should be aware, though, that Mercury, as a vacillating planet, sometimes has a tendency to encourage rapid of turnover of money when it's in the 2nd house. Keep the famed Gemini emotional distance and objectivity in full force when making any money-related decisions during this period.
All in all, though, not too shabby of a birthday month! Enjoy!
Donate to these organizations that help protect the rights of women worldwide:
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A good site for all kinds of information on self-development: selfgrowth.com
For information on non-Western (Vedic) astrology, you can click here
Great
selection of gorgeous New Age and Astrology Posters at AllPosters.com.
Highly recommended
A fun take on horoscopes using Tarot cards: TarotScopes
Additional Astrology Sites for your reference:
Mercury starts the astrological month in your second house of money, where it may offer you the chance to alternately adopt an attitude of thriftiness and one of 'yeah, whatever.' This is fine - your task is simply to discern when to adopt which attitude. Here's a hint. Thrifty when purchasing or transacting business. 'Yeah, whatever' whenever someone else tries to lay their dire economic predictions or burdensome financial advice on you.
On May 29th, Mercury moves into your solar 3rd house until June 12th, a time period when you have an opportunity to get a lot done. On the other hand, this placement has a tendency to cause some people to feel quite busy, in which case it can be helpful to remember to breathe.
From the 12th through June 29th, Mercury is in Cancer in your solar 4th house of family. This isn't really Aries' favorite position for Mercury and some Ariens find themselves unconsciously getting a bit uptight during this time. Since this period coincides with Father's Day, some susceptible folks find themselves suddenly worrying about their dads. This might be a good opportunity to do something nice for him and to go ahead and try to connect with him emotionally if there are difficulties in this area. There's no astrological gaurantee that things will go smoothly, but sometimes an Aries feels better just knowing they've tried.
For keywords you can use to customize your horoscope - click here
Mercury is in your own sign and solar first house until May 29th. This provides you with an opportunity to either harness the power of your mind constructively - or to let its ceaseless activity goad you into dangerous activity. We all know you'll choose the constructive path, since you're a Taurus, right? Most Taureans are quite sensitive to their environments and since you have Mercury's bright ideas on your side, why not use the opportunity to do something nice for your environment? Plant a garden or engage in something equally soothing and visually appealing.
Once Mercury moves into your solar second house of money on the 29th (remaining there until June 12), it gives you an an opportunity to track your finances. It's a great time to sit down and analyze what's been working for you in the money area - and what hasn't.
After that, Mercury moves into Cancer and your solar third house, providing another great opportunity - this time to get organized in any other areas of your daily life you desire, such as time management. Your mind will hopefully work flexibly, allowing you to make changes, jigger things around, or otherwise get rid of disorganized stray ends in your life that bug you.
For keywords you can use to customize your horoscope - click here
Mercury starts the astrological month in your solar 11th house. This can be a fairly fertile time for you if you take the opportunity to harness the power of communication to refresh your spirit. Let's put that in less abstract terms. Mercury in the 11th is traditionally considered a good time to socialize, invite company over, hang out and talk, exchange affection with your friends, and even seek reassurance from your circle if you happen to need some.
This theme continues as Mercury moves through Gemini through June 12th. You have the opportunity, should you choose to exercise it, to put some of your more subtle ideas into words and to allow them to connect you both with your spirit, and with those around you.
Mercury enters your own sign after that until June 29th and you can use this time to communicate any dang way your restless Cancer spirit desires, include sexually, if that appeals. Just as long as you communicate. Not a bad set of opportunities!
For keywords you can use to customize your horoscope - click here
Mercury transits Taurus in your solar 10th house through may 29th, squaring your sun. You can interpret this as either an opportunity to be in a bullying bad mood or to go for the gold. The latter suits your style better. You may wish to remain practical in how you express yourself. Or you may not wish to - but it's generally considered better advice to do so anyway!
Mercury next spends a couple of weeks (until June 12th) transiting your solar 11th house. Since your 11th house is ruled by the somewhat emotionally distant sign of Gemini, some Leos have an unconscious tendency to keep a little royal emotional distance between themselves and their friends. This isn't a terrible thing, necessarily; this same impulse can be used to further ideals of brotherhood and justice that somewhat more emotionally-oriented placements can neglect. You have an opportunity, while Mercury makes this transit, to actually express some of your ideals, if you choose to take it. Might not be a bad thing.
After that, Mercury enters the stomach-affecting sign of Cancer and your solar 12th house until June 29. This doesn't necessarily mean that you need to eat more (although who am I stop you from doing that!). But this transit can offer you the opportunity to 'listen to your gut. ' Cancer is a perceptive sign and if you interpret its signals correctly, you can learn a lot.
For keywords you can use to customize your horoscope - click here
VIRGO: AUGUST 23 - SEPTEMBER 22
Hello Virgo! We're spotlighting Mercury this month and Mercury is your planetary ruler as well as Gemini's. This makes you smart! (But you already knew that, I hope). You have three potential areas in which to exercise your intelligence this month.
While Mercury travels Taurus in your solar 9th house of the higher mind, you can use its clarity to attack areas of indecision or tension in your life. This transit operates through May 29 and then Mercury slides on over into Gemini where it will inhabit your 10th house. Here it will hopefully continue aiding you in making choices in areas where you need to make them. This placement also sometimes signals an opportunity to aid your career advancement by employing your famed mutable adaptability. (Both Gemini and Virgo belong to the family of adaptable or mutable signs, along with Sagittarius and Pisces.)
From there, Mercury moves into your solar 11th house through June 29. This usually signals an opportunity to be as affectionate as you please with those whom you care to be affectionate with. And since Mercury is a mentally oriented planet and you are a native of a mentally oriented sign, you also have the opportunity to take in and absorb the ideas of your friends during this period - if you think your friends have any ideas worth absorbing!
For keywords you can use to customize your horoscope - click here
LIBRA: SEPTEMBER 23 - OCTOBER 22
The sign of Libra likes to reason things through, and so does Mercury. I think that means you two get along! If you like, while Mercury is in Taurus in your solar 8th house through May 29th, you can reason through any issues of the body that may need your attention. If it's working right, this transit can enhance your sensitivity to these issues, which can be handy because sometimes Libra would rather ignore these issues so it can think about something else. If you don't have any body issues that you can think of, you can always use this transit to think of ingenious ways to improve your sex life!
While Mercury transits Gemini from the 29th through June 12th, you can turn your reasoning powers to the vexing question of worry. A fair number of signs have a tendency toward worry and Libra is one of those that likes to sneak some worrying in the back door when no one's looking. Gemini represents duality, among other things, and the 9th house, a broad perspective. During this time, you can choose to look at worry as merely a representation of the principle of duality at work in the universe. Things can always go one of two ways - the right Libra way or the wrong someone else's way. In the end, they all connect since that's how the universe does things - and maybe some of that Libra worrying over Important Decisions doesn't make all that much difference. Just a thought.
Now that you've accidentally stopped worrying (or at least held it in abeyance for a bit), you can turn your attention toward the Mercury transit through your solar 10th house from the 12th through 29th of June. As a Libra, you are adept at many things, and during this time you can reason through what exactly it's to your best advantage to be adept at these days.
For keywords you can use to customize your horoscope - click here
SCORPIO: OCTOBER 23 - NOVEMBER 21
Mercury starts the astrological month in your 7th house of relationships, and since Mercury is good at gathering facts, now might be a good time to gather some facts about your relationships. Sometimes when a planet is in our opposite sign and 7th house, many of us have a tendency to feel a bit dissatisfied with the relationship area and to feel we should be making more progress. This may or may not be the case, but Mercury will allow you to assess the situation objectively. And no sign is better equipped to make use of objective information in a potentially complicated area than Scorpio.
This theme continues as Mercury travels through Gemini and your solar 8th house through June 12th. The 8th house also deals with relationships, albeit on a somewhat deeper level than the 7th. This transit only increases your perception. If you need to make a choice in this area, as a result of your fact-gathering, you have the power to make it.
As the month winds up with a Mecury transit through Cancer and your solar 9th house through June 29th, it's not a time to be flippant. This is not a fault Scorpio is normally prone to but Mercury has been known to indulge in it from time to time. So this is just to a reminder that the shallow approach to relationships or anything else doesn't really fit the Scorpio nature - no matter what Mercury says!
For keywords you can use to customize your horoscope - click here
SAGITTARIUS: NOVEMBER 22 - DECEMBER 21
The thing Sagittarians like about Mercury is that it moves! It doesn't hang around in one place for too long getting on their mutable nerves. This month it is considerate enough to move through three different signs, which should make any Sagittarian happy.
It moves first through Taurus and your solar 6th house until May 29th, where you can use it to busy yourself exploring new techniques for accomplishing things on your job. Or for accomplishing things in any area you choose for that matter.
Then it zips on over into your opposite sign of Gemini and your solar 7th house. Here it can make you more responsive to others, always an interesting diversion for a Sagittarian.
It only lingers there for a couple of weeks though, leaving on June 12th to enter the sign of Cancer and your solar 8th house. Cancer is not necessarily Sagittarius' favorite placement for Mercury, as it is a worrying sign and Sagittarians have a philosophical opposition to worry. Still, some Sagittarians find themselves indulging in a little worry during this period, sometimes over the possibility of large-scale public disaster. They don't always worry about this, but Sagittarius is always secretly interested in anything that affects the public on a large scale and the sign itself is prone to an unshakeable conviction that the powers-that-be are always doing something wrong or at the very least unjust. Something about this conviction makes a Sagittarian feel good inside. You only have about two and a half weeks to indulge in this train of thought, so enjoy it while you can!
For keywords you can use to customize your horoscope - click here
CAPRICORN: DECEMBER 22 - JANUARY 19
One of the virtues of Mercury is its adaptability to any environment. Capricorns are not bad at this either, actually, although most only pretend they don't mind doing it. The environment Mercury is busy adapting to through May 29th is your solar 5th house, the one that rules children. If you have any, Mercury will be busy trying to figure out ways you can appear not to be bossing them around in an unpleasant way - even if that's what you usually want to do. Capricorn often unconsciously feels that if it is bossily stern with the kids this will magically protect them from the harshness of the outside world. But who knows? Maybe bossing them around in a pleasant, loving way will work just as well!
Next, Mercury will be in Gemini in your solar 6th house of job and health through June 12th. For many Capricorns this tends to mean they will be busy pretending that their job doesn't make them want to complain and call in sick, give them a stomach-ache or a pain in the neck, or any of the other things jobs sometimes do to the conscientious Capricorn. But it could also mean, for those Capricorns interested in taking advantage of it, an opportunity to enact some health-related regime. Although this is sometimes hard for a Capricorn to believe, this could even be a pleasant health-related regime, such as scheduling a massage on a regular basis. Hey, if you can't beat 'em, at least you can pay someone to pound away the stress they cause.
Finally, Mercury will exercise its powers of adaptation in your 7th solar house of relationships June 12th through the 29th. Since for Capricorns this area is ruled by the over-sensitive sign of Cancer, this area has a tendency to be one where Capricorns are already highly motivated to be adaptable, even passive. Sometimes even passive-aggressive! And since a planet in one's opposite sign can sometimes ignite the stray relationship irritation, this is a time when those massages can come in very handy! In the meantime, go ahead and feel free to just passively adapt to whatever situation the time brings you - the transit will be over in two and a half weeks. That's nothing to a sign known for its endurance the way Capricorn is.
For keywords you can use to customize your horoscope - click here
AQUARIUS: JANUARY 20 - FEBRUARY 18
Interestingly, one of the things Mercury signifies is siblings. This suits Aquarius just fine since deep in its heart, this sign believes everyone on the planet is its sibling. While Mercury transits the domestic sign of Taurus in your 4th solar house of home affairs through May 29th, why not invite your siblings over to the house. This will encourage you to clean it, something you normally don't like to do. It may even encourage you to show some pride in your home, although you can ignore this suggestion if it seems overly ambitious. If you don't have siblings, feel freel to invite over any of your brothers-in-arms, however you define that.
We have more potential sibling action during Mercury's transit through its own sign of Gemini through June 12th. If you have problems with any of yours, this could be a favorable transit to clear the air. If that doesn't seem applicable, you could also use these two transits to spiff up your environment and pay attention to your kids. Nothing wrong with that.
Finally, Mercury in Cancer from June 12th through the 29th in your solar 6th house offers the opportunity to turn your attention toward your job. You may even be pretending that you and your co-workers are just one big happy family. Maybe you even believe it; it can certainly be true for many a hard-working Aquarian that those they work with become like family. Still, Aquarians can go overboard with this, and it might not hurt to remember that your real family is actually your real family - and not your job associates.
For keywords you can use to customize your horoscope - click here
PISCES: FEBRUARY 19 - MARCH 20
Mercury is a youthful planet and it gets along well with young people. So do many Pisces. Here's a way you can put this to use during Mercury's transit of your solar third house through May 29th. You can volunteer to help out a troubled teen with their schoolwork through one of the many agencies that sponsors this kind of effort. This is a fairly unusual way to handle a Mercury 3rd house transit, but you are a sensitive Pisces and I respect your need to be of service in a deeper way than many Mercury interpretations take into account. Of course, there are many other ways you could help out a youngster that could use some assistance, but doing something like this, even on a short term basis, provides more refreshment to the Pisces mind than getting caught up in daily affairs.
This will help when Mercury squares your sun during the period May 29 through June 12th. Some Pisces have a tendency to feel they don't make much progress during these periods, but any little buds of hope you planted during the 3rd house transit have a good chance of hanging on and surviving.
Mercury enters Cancer and your solar 5th house of love affairs on the 12th and stays there through June 29th. Now there is nothing wrong with using this transit to start thinking about indulging in some of your traditional old-fashioned love affairs, but this placement can be used in many ways. Including falling in love with the potential of one of the young people you had the sensitivity to start nurturing at the start of the astrological month.
For keywords you can use to customize your horoscope - click here
The
myth of Mercury Retrograde
The spotlight this month is on the planet Mercury, the planet associated with the infamous 'Mercury Retrograde.' You may have heard of it. Approximately three times a year, Mercury appears to go backward for about 3 weeks. That means, astrologically speaking, it travels backward through the degrees of the sign it's inhabiting.
This year, Mercury went retrograde from March 19th through April 12th. And it will go retrograde again from about July 23rd through August 16th; and finally from November 14th through December 4, 2005.
Mercury does not really go backward in its motion. None of the planets do. Astrology is not astronomy and it isn't a representation of physical reality. It's a representation of how things seem to appear from our vantage point as little humans on Earth, observing the sky.
At any rate, seeing the speedy little messenger planet Mercury appearing to go backwards in the sky must have alarmed someone at some point - because Mecury retrograde has become associated in astrological lore with a wide variety of mildly alarming things. Missed appointments, email outages, misdelivered messages, appliance problems, bank errors, lost documents, computer failures, purchase of items that don't work or aren't what you want, unfavorable contracts, miscommunications, and traffic accidents are just a few of the things many astrologers warn about during Mercury retrograde. In other words, astrologers predict that during a Mercury retrograde, the daily affairs of humans will get all screwed up.
They should stop doing that. In spite of the way the myth of Mercury retrograde has become enshrined as a real phenomenon, in reality it is a myth. I've been observing Mercury retrograde periods for over two decades and I can tell you that email viruses don't propagate any more virulently, planes don't crash or miss their schedules any more often than usual, the business of life does not stop around the globe or even go any more haywire than usual, satisfactory electronic items are happily purchased by consumers around the world, contracts signed during this period are not more likely to be unfavorable and miscommunications happen no more than usual.
It's a crock. The minor business of human life gets screwed up all the time - but it doesn't get screwed up more often than usual during a Mercury retrograde. The only warning advice associated with Mercury retrograde that I personally endorse is the admonition to drive carefully. I endorse this because you should always drive carefully.
In fact, if you were to take the symbolism of Mercury retrograde literally, it would simply mean that during these periods Mercury was conscientiously going back over whatever it had worked on in the previous three weeks, revising perhaps, and fine-tuning. If anything should get screwed up theoretically - it would be the stuff done in the 3 weeks prior to the Mercury retrograde. But even this doesn't seem to happen particularly.
There is no benefit to imagining that Mercury retrograde has any particular power or desire to do anything negative whatsoever. And there's a potential disadvantage in paying too much attention to this kind of superstitious bull. Because the only people I am personally aware of who are negatively affected by Mercury retrograde are the ones who believe in it! The rest of my friends sail through life unaffected by this so-called phenomenon, successfully completing long journeys, undergoing major surgeries, buying houses, using their computers and communicating on personal and business matters without any unusual glitches. Their bank accounts remain unscathed by errors, their relationships trouble free.
One person I know of who claims to be severely affected by each Mercury retrograde has a life that looks like a permanent retrograde anyway. I'm not entirely sure how she can tell the difference. (Her natal chart actually has Mercury retrograde and she may have convinced herself that this is how her life is supposed to be.) And so it goes.
If you routinely miscommunicate, mess up your travel plans, miss your appointments, lose your mail and accidentally delete important email messages, it's a fair bet that you will continue to do these things during a Mercury retrograde. Your problem isn't Mercury retrograde - it's that, for whatever reason, you haven't been able to organize your life to a comfortable level!
You're not alone. Relatively few of us in the modern world reach the level of organizational comfort we would really like - we're just too inundated. And that's the topic of this month's opportunity. Whether Mercury retrograde has any effect whatsoever, it can still function as a very handy excuse to remind ourselves to get organized. Three times a year (you can mark them on your calendar), Mercury retrograde serves as a little reminder that sometimes it's good to go back through that pile of accumulated paperwork, messages, email folders, business cards, reading material, and goodness knows what else it is that is lying in stacks around our homes and desks. Almost all of us want to get to this stuff and clear it out or organize it - and very few of us have any idea exactly when we're going to get around to it.
Mark the Mercury retrograde periods on your calendar right now and tell yourself that's when you'll get around to it. Couldn't hurt. Might help.
If clearing out your paperwork is just too unappealing under any circumstances, you can also tell yourself things like - that's when I'll get around to updating my website, redoing my business cards, revising my mission statement, or revising whatever thing it is you keep telling yourself you're going to revise but you never really have the time or energy to do it. Mercury likes to do things quickly, so don't going envisioning a major rehaul of your life and systems. Minor tweaks - like putting your tax receipts in their right file folders. Nothing big.
Deep in its speedy little heart - Mercury loves to feel organized. So do most of the rest of us, even if only briefly. Three times a year - during Mercury retrograde, you have a perfect excuse to indulge your inner organizer. Why not enjoy?
Some key concepts for Mercury can be found in the special horoscope for Gemini. Here are some additional keywords: Writing, travelling, speaking, studying, teaching, office work, retail shopping, business transactions, record keeping, editing, transportation, and speed.
Some keywords for Taurus: Receptivity, animal instincts, fertility, resources, stubborness, money, dogmatism, and beautification.
Some keywords for Gemini: Youthfulness, liveliness, mobility, quick wits, ingenuity, adaptability, humor, studying, arguments, changeableness, exaggeration, and tricksters.
Some keywords for Cancer: Nurturing, childhood, shrewdness, the breasts, the stomach, assimilation, passivity, emotions.
Some Keywords for the 1st house: Intuition, self-expression, instincts, attitudes, personality characteristics, physical appearance, mannerisms, and how one presents oneself.
Some keywords for the 2nd house: Tenacity, shrewdness, posssessions and possessivness, generosity, gains, losses, money, and items of substance.
Some keywords for the 3rd house: Travel, relatives, neighbors, studying, knowledge, dissemination of information, curiosity, gossip, daily affairs, and one's immediate environment.
Some keywords for the 4th house: Inherited tendencies, intuition, centering oneself, inner desires, sense of security, feelings, endings, maternal influence, one's parents, home and the domestic environment, emotional attachments.
Some keywords for the 5th house: Love affairs, romance, flirting, gambling, creative pursuits, children, fun, and speculation.
Some keywords for the 6th house: Health, illness, employees, helpers, one's job, techniques and practical skills, hygiene, work of all kinds, and nervous tensions.
Some keywords for the 7th house: Partnerships, marriage, characteristics of the partner, dealing with the public, and enemies.
Some keywords for the 8th house: Death, other people's money, sex, debts, research, analysis, therapy, and taxes.
Some keywords for the 9th house: Long distance travel, emigration, mental inspiration, philosophy, broad understanding, and religion.
Some keywords for the 10th house: Success, business ownership, career, changes in occupation, public esteem, honors, mentors, and scandal.
Some keywords for the 11th house: Friends, scandal, cultural pursuits, stepchildren, hopes and wishes and social leadership.
Some keywords for the 12th house: Self-absorption, escape, spiritual beliefs, secrets, vagueness, transcendence, weaknesses, and sensitive perception.
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. Look towards the top of the page before the horoscopes to find the keywords for the planet and sign highlighted this month (or click here). Combine them with the keywords listed at the end of your sign's monthly horoscope. Scan for keywords that seem relevant to situations in your own life. You'll have 3 sets of keywords you can blend. Pick the keywords that interest you most and create your customized horoscope!
For example, 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!