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Learn what a SOLAR RETURN CHART is. (Cost for a solar return chart is $70, available by email or by telephone consultation.)

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. I'll also cover a topic of the month.

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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The Planets: Sun, Mercury, Venus

The Planets: Mars, Jupiter, Saturn

The Planets: Uranus, Neptune, Pluto

MONTHLY HOROSCOPE FOR ALL SIGNS

Happy Birthday, Taurus

This year, the month of your solar return starts off with a very nice and rare aspect, a grand trine between the sun, Saturn in Virgo and Pluto in Capricorn (on April 20). Although it's only exact for a day, the good vibes remain to some extent until the sun leaves your sign. This is the sort of transit that's so pleasant that you might not notice it at all, unless you make extra efforts to capitalize on it. In essence, your personal interests merge harmoniously with your creative interests and with your plans for the future.

You can also potentially use the harmonious trio to make efforts to find romance or begin dating, enjoy time with your children, pursue higher learning opportunities or engage in some long-distance travel. The week of May 11 also sees a number of aspects to the sun in your sign, including a nice angle with Uranus in your solar 11th house. This can be used perhaps to initiate an unexpected but personally rewarding friendship, engage in group activities, or do some networking. The sun's also in a good mood with Jupiter that week, but clashes with Neptune in your solar career house. What this probably indicates is that you'll do a tad better focusing on the preparation end of things when it comes to your professional aspirations, rather than trying to launch something that could dissolve in a nebulous haze before you know it.

Remember also to make your birthday wish at the time of your solar return (may be a day before your actual birthday this year, due to leap year). Another excellent time to make a wish is at the new moon in your sign on May 5. A new moon is said to bring emotions and subconscious impulses to the surface, where you can align them with your conscious thoughts and plans. The idea is to observe what you feel you really want at this time (rather than what you used to think you wanted based on what other people have told you). Set an intention and then let things take their course. Tip: with so many planets in materially oriented earth signs this month, you'll probably do best to set an intention or make a wish that relates to something visible and tangible in your world, instead of a more intangible wish (such as to grow spiritually).

Overall, this solar year is potentially a year a better year than Taurus has seen in awhile. I realize that transits in your personal chart may overshadow the progress your solar chart is making this year, but that's partly because the Taurus solar chart is making progress in such a relaxed, even leisurely style. To give an example, Saturn in Virgo in your solar 5th house may be applying the pressure for you to settle down and get serious in a romance, deal with problems with your children, or make a stolid effort in a personally fulfilling or creative project. You may not think that you're making any progress at all, especially since Saturn moves rather slowly. But you are. You are learning what you need to do in key relationships or projects to make them work in the long-term. That may involve asserting yourself, being stubborn, taking things one step at a time or just sort of trying to figure things out as you go. But that doesn't mean you're doing anything wrong or not getting any benefits from these transits. Indeed, Pluto and Jupiter in Capricorn, plus Saturn in Virgo are rather carefully considering your future, how to achieve stability and comfort, and what you really want a pleasurable life to look like.

Don't be fooled by any obstacles they may seem to put in your way. The planets are trying to figure out what you really want at this stage of your life and how you can achieve it without feeling like you're killing yourself. The planets are on your side. All year. As Sally Field would say, they like you, they really really do.

For some additional keywords you can use to customize your own horoscope - click here. For instructions on how to use the keywords - click here.

This is the month when the sun transits your solar second house and when Mercury and Venus stop by for visits too. Therefore you can reasonably expect a fair amount of emphasis on your resources in general and on your values. Apparently the universe thinks that your greatest resources this month come in the form of your work and professional endeavors, as these sectors in your solar chart are lit up with good aspects to the sun. Indeed, there's a rare grand trine going on involving the sun, Saturn, and Pluto. That's a pretty heavy grand trine, and you might as well go with the flow and consider how exactly you can use the work-related resources at your disposal.

As for values, you may get a jolt of insight regarding those as well this month. Uranus and the sun also make a good opportunistic angle on May 11, and Uranus is in the sector of your chart that deals with subconscious motivations. You might think that we all walk around automatically knowing exactly what we value and what we want, but often we don't. One of the reasons we don't is that we get so much information from society and from the other people in our lives about what we ought to value and want that we barely get a chance to hear our own inner voices. There's a decent chance your inner voice will be speaking louder than normal around the middle of May, so plan to listen for it.

For some additional keywords you can use to customize your own horoscope - click here. For instructions on how to use the keywords - click here.

Special Articles:

The Signs: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, & Cancer

The Signs: Leo, Virgo, Libra, & Scorpio

The Signs: Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, & Pisces

Link: New and Full Moons 2008

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the horoscope junkie 

More articles:

Eclipses, New Moons & Full Moons

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The Houses 1st through 4th

The Houses: 5th through 9th

The Houses: 10th through 12th

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Early in May (the 2nd), your ruler Mercury enters your own sign. It's going to stay there for more than two months, thanks to retrograde action. Your sign is said to be the sign of duality or "two-ness" or twin-ness. Mercury is said to be the planet of broadcasting and communication. Put it all together and you're likely to have Mercury attempting to communicate at least two different kinds of things to the people around you, and those two things may be more like opposites than similars.

Your task this month, then, is to observe what you say and what you communicate and then to try to figure out what the heck you mean. The sun is in your house of subconscious motivations this month, and it will certainly be trying to figure out what you mean. The sun won't be listening to you to try to get directions to the corner bank, either. It wants to get itself all prepped for your new solar year that starts when the sun enters your sign. It wants to figure out what it is exactly that you'd like to accomplish and why.

So help it out. Make a date for yourself sometime around the new moon on May 5, and sit down and listen to yourself, write to yourself, or just talk to someone until your current emotional motivations become clear. Once you've got that understanding, set an intention and then barrel toward your birthday month.

For some additional keywords you can use to customize your own horoscope - click here. For instructions on how to use the keywords - click here.

For Cancers, a lot depends this month on the planets in your own natal chart. Jupiter stations in your opposite sign (Capricorn) this month at 22 degrees and Pluto retrogrades back to 0 degrees Capricorn. If you have birth planets at these degrees you may be in for either a wonderful ride or a ticket back to "I wish this damn transit was over" land. Fortunately for all Cancers, Saturn in Virgo and the sun in Taurus are making super nice with Pluto this month (especially on April 20 as the solar month begins). Even Cancers who aren't all that thrilled with Pluto in Capricorn will get some steadying benefits from having the sun and Saturn talk soothingly to the outermost planet.

The most likely area of challenge in Cancer life these days is relationships--which is exactly why it's nice that the sun's in Taurus (and Venus too) this month because it usually brings a positive vibe to matters regarding friendships. If your significant other is giving you fits, the skies seem to indicate that you can commiserate with your friends, your relatives, your neighbors, your co-workers, and perhaps even random people on the street you can force to listen to you. If you feel reticent about talking about your situation these days (whether business or personal), you're going to just need to let that feeling go. The skies want you to ease your burdens this month, whether those burdens be trivial or quite quite heavy. And--if you have no burdens but are bursting with good news thanks to Jupiter, then the planets want you to share the good news with all and sundry.

For additional keywords you can use to customize your horoscope - click here. For instructions on how to use the keywords - click here.

This solar month marks an annual rite of passage for your solar chart, the time when the sun visits the house at the top of your chart and obsesses on concepts like 'achievement.' If you can achieve something significant this month, I suggest you go all out to do so. The most likely area for achievement is professional, but anything that makes you visible, a part of the community, or a responsible mensch-type person will fit the bill. Meanwhile, even as the sun is focused on achieving this month, Mercury in Gemini is mulling over broader matters.

Mercury enters your solar 11th house on May 2nd this year, and he'll staying there more than two months thanks to retrograde action. In essence, this indicates that Mercury will be spending a greater than normal amount of time examing your entire life (more or less) to see whether you are headed in the direction you want to go. The fact that Mercury's retrograding indicates that he's not entirely sure--either as to where you are going or as to whether where you're going is where you actually want to end up. This is something you probably need to think about too, especially since planets in the earth signs are all teed up to help you make significant progress in your work. It would be good to have them helping you make progress in the right direction. There's no need to fear the examination--you have Mars in your own sign on your side, so once you figure out where you're headed you can head there with verve and style.

For keywords you can use to customize an alternate interpretation- click here. For instructions on how to use the keywords - click here.

There are a few potentially significant days in the Virgo solar chart this month, although how significant will depend partly on your birth chart. On April 20, there's a grand trine in earth signs that includes Saturn in your own sign. On the 2nd of May, Saturn also stations at 1 degree and begins to move forward again. And on May 9, Jupiter stations in Capricorn and begins to move backward (i.e., retrograde). If you have planets at 1 degree or at 22 degrees in your own sign, you will probably notice things beginning to shift.

If you want to take advantage of the grand trine this month, the thing to do is probably to travel, as the sun will be in your solar house of journeys. If travel is out of the question, you might at least try to make an effort to meet new people from different backgrounds who can add to or broaden your world. This is particularly the case for Virgos looking for new relationships, as Jupiter is in a favorable position in your 5th house of romance. Travel could also be a good way to bond with your children or get your creative juices flowing for some important projects. You don't have to limit your attempts to broaden your world to just the beginning of the solar month, either--the entire month is good for getting some spiritual refreshment in the form of new ideas, new contacts, new projects, or new places to see and visit.

For keywords you can use to customize an alternate interpretation- click here. For instructions on how to use the keywords - click here.

The most significant thing about this month is that it is not an event-oriented month in your solar chart (unless you are experiencing some major transits in your birth chart, especially with planets in Libra at 1 degree or 22 degrees). Mars is finally leaving Cancer, and that means he's leaving an angle of your solar chart. Events may have piled up relatively thick and fast since last September, especially at work, but things are thankfully easing. Now it's time to take stock of your internal situation and your emotions.

The new moon on May 5 falls in your solar 8th house and this type of new moon is generally intended to bring your emotions, your hidden emotions, to the surface so that you can sort through things, process, and gain the internal power of clarity. This can also be a good new moon in a material sense, as the 8th house also deals with "other people's money." This can indicate everything from debt to inheritances to investments to gifts to insurance settlements to...whatever other material matters fall outside the scope of earning your daily bread and maintaining a normal standard of living.

There's also a lot of emphasis on home-related matters in your solar chart, and you may just have a chance to attend to them now that Mars in moving out of opposition to planets in Capricorn. (Mars leaves Cancer on May 9). Add it all up and it becomes time this month for you to attend to your inner needs--your psychological needs, your material and emotional needs, your needs for roots, and your needs for spirituality.

For keywords you can use to customize your horoscope - click here. For instructions on how to use the keywords - click here.

At this time of year, the sun transits the sign opposite yours, traveling through your solar 7th house. Normally, this transit highlights significant existing relationships rather than bringing new ones to the fore. What it normally highlights is your emotions regarding these relationships. That is more than normally true this year, as there are two full moons in your sign, one at the beginning of the solar month and one at the end (April 20 and May 19).

There's also a new moon in Taurus on May 5, and this is another date that can bring emotions to the fore. One of your jobs, I suppose, is to understand where you are coming from. The other job is to understand where other people are coming from. If it appears that you and other people are on a collision course, this is the time to make adjustments.

By the way, all your relationships are up for examination, not just romantic ones. Friends, neighbors, relatives, business partners, family members, children--you name it. The skies are actively involved in this month in dealing with almost anybody and everybody you come in contact with--and you're might as well go along with the agenda and figure out how you feel about these people these days.

For keywords you can use to customize your horoscope - click here. For instructions on how to use the keywords - click here.

For about a month, starting now, you've just got to buckle down and get stuff done--whatever it is that needs to get done, you need to do it. Last month was Sagittarian playtime, but the vibe this month is much different. All the planets can think about this month is the material universe and work, chores, money, career, and all things practical. If this proves difficult for whatever reason (I'm thinking Neptune in your 3rd house of daily life here, which isn't interested in any of this stuff really), you can use the new moon on May 5 to sit down and make an organized list.

If you regularly face procrastination issues (don't so many of us?), you can also use the new moon to figure out what the heck you're avoiding and what emotions are convincing you that it is better to put off paying the bills (or whatever) and risk dire consequences than to just open the checkbook and come to terms with what's going on in there. I mention the bills as an example specifically because Jupiter and Pluto are busy trying to overhaul your finances anyway, so you might as well find out what they're up to. There's a pretty decent chance that things are actually going much better than you think!

The week of May 11 is particularly potent in terms of aspects. This is the week when the sun tries to convince you to open that checkbook, gives Neptune a stern talking-to about being excessively impractical, and is surprised to find out that interesting things are going on in your home life. Plan to be busy and productive, and you may find out that this is actually a great month to be a Sagittarius.

For keywords you can use to customize your horoscope - click here. For instructions on how to use the keywords - click here.

Both of the planets in your sign, Jupiter and Pluto, will be retrograding as of May 9, which means, I suppose, that they are recharging their batteries. This happens to be excellent timing for you, as the sun in your solar 5th house this month is keen to recharge you too. It's feeling all free and happy and in the mood to have you express yourself however you like best. As an added bonus, Mars leaves Cancer the same day Jupiter becomes retrograde, which means you have at least one significant monkey off your back as May swings into high gear.

What Mars leaving Cancer is supposed to mean for you (and I hope it does) is that you will not be facing the godawful round of obstacles from other people and outside circumstances that Mars kept trying to arrange while in your solar 7th house. Mars has been in obstacle mode in your chart since last October, off and on, and I suppose he was trying to see how badly you really want the things you think you want. Now that he's taking the pressure off an angle in your chart, he will be burrowing into your solar 8th house. There he will become excessively interested in bringing your hidden emotions to light for examination, processing, and hopefully enlightenment.

In other words, Mars has been trying to get a rise out of you for almost 8 months, and now he wants to see what effect this has had on you. The effect it was supposed to have, I think, was to increase your sense of determination and clarity, as well as your sense of prudence and willingness to think things through in service of your goals. If Mars accomplished this for you, great. If not, well now's the time to recharge your batteries, dust yourself off, and see where you stand.

For keywords you can use to customize your horoscope - click here. For instructions on how to use the keywords - click here.

There are a few things going on this month. One is that, as of May 2, Mercury in Gemini is going to want you to speak up in a light-hearted and happy way. Mercury's going to be in Gemini for over 2 months, thanks to a retrograde, and during this time he is not really going to want you to shut up. Talking is fun for most Aquarians, so you might as well get ready to enjoy yourself.

Meanwhile, the sun and Venus are all interested in your home. I don't know whether you are, but if you can spare a few moments, this would be the time to spruce the place up and make it all nice and well, homey. No need to fear this transit--Venus has good taste! If, for whatever reason, you have emotional issues going on around your home, you can use the new moon on May 5 to flush them out. You can even make a plan for dealing with said issues, even if they involve nasty things like credit problems or mortgage woes. The sun, Saturn and Pluto are all in good angle with each other this month, and you may be able to grab ahold of some insight or some practical advice. You don't need to wait until the new moon to take material action, either. It's perfectly acceptable to get yourself in realistic problem-solving gear from the moment the solar months begins on April 19.

Finally, Mars will be moving out your solar 6th house of work and health, and he'll be sauntering into your solar 7th house on May 9. Sometimes this can be stressful, although it's not likely to be as stressful as having Mars attack your work and health for almost 8 months (since last October). If stresses do arise, just remember to keep talking.

For keywords you can use to customize your horoscope - click here. For instructions on how to use the keywords - click here.

For the rest of this year, and indeed for years to come, the people you deal with regularly (friends, colleagues, maybe clients) will play a key role in your solar chart. This is due to the influence of Jupiter in Capricorn this year and Pluto in Capricorn for more than a decade. This solar month you're scheduled to encounter a brief and hopefully very happy introduction to the transformation promised by having these planets in such a beneficial sector of your chart. The introduction comes courtesy of the sun and Venus in Taurus making happy angles with both these planets. Indeed, there's a grand trine of planets in earth signs (good thing) all month.

The trine highlights your relationships, and the new moon on May 5 indicates a time when you can set an intention to initiate some or leave yourself open to letting others initiate them with you. These don't have to be pie-in-the-sky love of your life, BFF relationships (although they might be), simply getting to know your neighbors would be fine. The point is, it is the people in your life who are intended to the be vehicle for your growth and your good fortune for a long time to come. The ability to like a wide variety of people (normally said to come easily to Pisces) will ultimately prove to be one of your greatest assets. Friends can help you understand yourself, your intimate relationships, and even your hopes and dreams.

In other news, Mercury in Gemini has got your career and professional situation on his mind all month, and apparently he can't decide what he thinks about it right now. A retrograde in Gemini means he'll have plenty of time to ponder and to help you adjust course in the short term if need be.

For keywords you can use to customize your horoscope - click here. For instructions on how to use the keywords - click here.

TOPIC OF THE MONTH:

Sun trine Sun: Happy Days are Here Again

One fairly easy way to find out if you are responsive to the influence of the sun as it transits around your chart during the year is to notice if you have predictable reactions to certain months of the year. For example, if you notice that year after year your mood perks up in late June and goes down in early September, you may be reacting to more than the beginning and end of summer. You may be reacting to the angles the transiting sun makes with your sun. One of the angles that is supposed to have the best effect on mood is sun trine sun. This aspect occurs 4 months after your birthday and 4 months before it. So if you were born in early January (Capricorn), you'd experience the trine in early May (Taurus) and in early September (Virgo). In other words, your sun is said to be happy when the transiting sun is in another earth sign if you were born in one originally (or in another air, fire or water sign if that's your birth sign).

In astrology, one of the implications of a happy sun trine sun angle is that your birth sun doesn't want to do any real work right now. Trines are play angles, not work angles. At the first sun trine sun occurrence during your solar year (4 months after your birthday), the sun is in your solar house of recreation, fun times, activities with children, creative projects, love affairs and gambling. As you may notice, none of these activities really goes along with wanting to work really hard, clean up your room, floss twice daily or get all stressed out. This is the time of year to kick back and get yourself all refreshed and jazzed up again with the joy of life. It's your own personal spring fever time.

At the second sun trine sun angle (8 months after your birthday), the transiting sun is in your solar 9th house. This house is associated with travel, long journeys, study, philosophical thought, the higher mind and religious convictions. Once again, most of these concepts put your natal sun more in mind of an interesting vacation than an all-nighter at the office. Vacations and slowing the pace (stopping to smell the roses) are very important to the health and maintenance of any organism, including the complicated human organism. Some people do not build the time for recreation and vacationing into their thinking, but astrology does and the body responds subtly or blatantly to the annual tides of effort and rest.

The core concept behind any trine is the concept of "easy" or "going with the flow." Take it easy during the time of your sun trine sun period and see if you end up getting more accomplished in the long run because you stopped to let your natal sun get the rest and refreshment it needs.

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KEYWORDS FOR THE MONTH

Some keywords for Taurus: Privacy, chaos, inspiration, spiritual awareness, otherwordliness, compassion, big picture orientation, withdrawal, self-sacrifice, confusion and disorientation, joy in being in the now, and escape.

Some keywords for the sun: Soul purpose, individuality, the father, one's vitality, consciousness, the self, the will, one's sense of drive, creative potential, the ego, and authority.

Some keywords for Mercury: Writing, the mind, speaking, learning, communication, commerce, messages, intellectual interests, mental abilities, speed, transportation, and language skills.

Some keywords for the Moon: Emotions, the body, instincts, fluctuating moods, rhythm, gut reactions, needs, dependence, responsiveness, memories, the subconscious, and perceptions.

Some keywords for Venus: Love, unity, harmony, pleasure, laziness, relationships, beautiful things, money, the arts, femininity, and aesthetic taste.

Some keywords for Mars: Energy, aggression, conflict, driving determination, strong emotions, male energy, keen competitiveness, sexual drive, and assertiveness.

Some keywords for Jupiter: Abundance, expansiveness, a cheery outlook, foreign travel, big money, philosophical concerns, gambling, sports, risks, advertising, publishing, and luck.

Some keywords for Saturn: Contraction, restriction, life tests, aging, a mature outlook, building structure, limitations, rules, authority, obstacles, discipline, thrift, and hard work.

Some keywords for Uranus: Technology, universal ideas, humanitarian impulses, hopes for the future, sudden changes, shaking up the status quo, reversals, revolution, and science.

Some keywords for Neptune: Artistic impulses, drugs, chemicals, and alcohol, inspiration, imagination, deception, glamor, delusions, hospitals, subconscious yearnings, liquids, oil, psychic experiences, and romanticism.

Some keywords for Pluto: Global events, transformation, regeneration, and elimination.

Some Keywords for the 1st house: The self , personality, the body, appearance, ego, attitudes, how others see you, physical health and vitality, self-regard, and what inspires you.

Some keywords for the 2nd house: All personal resources, values, money, possessions, ownership, attachments, investments in real estate, self-worth, tangible items, gifts, possessiveness, and materialism.

Some keywords for the 3rd house: The daily environment, communication, cell phones, casual conversation, letters, email, commerce, acquaintances, neighbors, relatives, the ability to deal with daily life, and the part of the conscious mind that deals with daily tasks.

Some keywords for the 4th house: Roots, home, family, the parents, traditions, the past, patriotism, nurturing, the need for emotional support, where you belong, ancestors, and the subconscious.

Some keywords for the 5th house: Play, amusements, creative self-expression, romance, children, fun, pleasures, love affairs, and gambling and speculation.

Some keywords for the 6th house: Employment, health, routines, nutrition, chores, service, volunteering, nursing, service professions, illness, employees, and hygiene.

Some keywords for the 7th house: Intimate relationships, partnerships, enemies, marriage, counselors, the general public, the ability to attract and love others, what we feel we lack, what we like and dislike in others, and the ability to resolve conflicts.

Some keywords for the 8th house: The past, transformation, death, inheritance, other people's money, rebirth, trauma, abuse, crisis, the partner's finances, loans, and investments.

Some keywords for the 9th house: Philosophy, religion, the legal profession, travel, academics, synthesis, higher education, the higher mind, the search for meaning, ethical beliefs and standards, foreigners and interest in things foreign, and the ability to gain perspective on events.

Some keywords for the 10th house: Status, career, reputation, authority figures, tangible achievements, the father, the ability to garner admiration, honors, contributions to the communty, fame, vocation or calling, and professional accomplishments.

Some keywords for the 11th house: Friendships, groups, life direction, aspirations, visionaries, scientific thinking, humanitarian impulses, the brotherhood of man, and hopes & wishes.

Some keywords for the 12th house: Secrets, mental illness, incarceration, self-sabotage, dreams, fantasies, subconscious fears, spirituality, intution, oneness with the universe, the inner life, and guilt.

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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'.