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Topic of the month - Jupiter and the nature of luck
using the new moon for wish fulfillment
the fiery energy of Mars
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PLUS - instead of viewing planetary influences as outside events over which you have no control PRACTICAL ASTROLOGY will teach you to view planetary configurations as OPPORTUNITIES that will allow you to work with the timing of the universe to make choices, exert control, observe results and track your success over time.
Each month, shortly before the sun moves into a new sign (which usually happens around the 20th or 21st of the month), I'll suggest a way for your sign to take advantage of the opportunities provided by one of the solar month's major astrological features. In addition, you can read a short article on one aspect of putting together a horoscope forecast that will give you more insight into how to interpret your own chart.
Finally, I'll provide a list of keywords for some of the planets, signs, and houses that make up a horoscope so that you can further customize your horoscope.
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in throughout the month,
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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 Virgo this month.
The new
moon is on September 3. Click here to read about
the opportunity presented by the new
moon each month
The full moon is on September 18. Click here to read about using the full moon energy each month
Mercury enters Virgo on September 5.
Venus is in Libra until September 12 when it enters Scorpio.
Mars continues its transit through Taurus.
Previous Months Horoscopes:
July - August (Leo)
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JUPITER: GOOD FORTUNE IN MONEY, COMMUNICATION AREAS
Happy Birthday, Virgo! This month we're spotlighting the fortunate planet of Jupiter and I'm pleased to say that I think its travels will be more beneficial for you over the next year and a half than for any other sign.
Right now, and through most of October, Jupiter is still transiting Libra and your second house of money. Although Jupiter is traditionally considered the planet of good fortune, I know for a fact that it hasn't been making all Virgos rich this past year. Hopefully it has been saving you from any dire consequences though, even if your financial circumstances are less than ideal. The good news is that you still have a couple of months to work this transit to your benefit.
In my experience, Jupiter seems to respond well to metaphysical practices like visualization. If your financial fortunes could stand an uptick (whose couldn't?), why not put a visual representation of your financial desires up somewhere that you can see every day. Something reasonable (not like winning the Mega PowerBall 18 state lottery for $680 million), something Virgo-like and prudent.
Combine your visual representation with a new moon birthday wish on September 3, and some conscious action using the sun in your sign. Kick in some brainstorming via Mercury in your sign from September 5 and some charm thanks Venus in Virgo from the 12th and you've got a fair amount going for you. Two months is definitely enough time to get some Jupiter luck going. If you put some effort into this, you could see some significant movement by the end of the year. I've definitely seen this work for people, so feel free to take advantage of the opportunity.
Meanwhile, Jupiter will be moving into Scorpio and your third house of communication on October 27 (depending on where you live) where it will stay for about 13 months. This could be really really helpful for you and I'm encouraging you to get prepped now. Get out a little sticky and write these words on it: "Communication is key."
Here's why. Uranus is currently transiting your opposite sign of Pisces and doing its very best to stress out a lot of you on relationship matters. So far, it's only about a third of the way through the sign but Uranus casts a wide net. Even if it's not opposing your sun, lots of you have Mercury or Venus in Virgo as well. And for those of you in your early 40s, natal Pluto is parked in early Virgo too. In other words, Uranus has a lot of potential planets to take aim at with earthquake-like intensity.
Jupiter though is riding in to the rescue. When it enters Scorpio at the end of October it's going to be at a favorable angle to both Uranus and your sun, kind of like a mediator. Until February 2006, it's also going to be working with Mars in Taurus to give you release points for all that electric Uranus stress.
Here's how. It wants you to expand your communication style. The sign of Virgo, left to its own devices, would happily spend all its communication energy criticizing everything imaginable. It loves to criticize, that's part of its function. What's going right doesn't interest it nearly as much as what's going wrong. Most people with a Virgo sun figure out at some point that criticizing everybody all the time isn't really going to work. So many adopt a perky, positive persona (there are a lot of perky Virgos out there) that allows them to more tactfully try to control the situation while cleverly getting others to correct the errors that their keen Virgo minds detect.
This is all well and good. Unless you've got Uranus slamming your relationship sector. Uranus is determined that the Virgos of the world achieve two things: a) way more sensitivity to other people's feelings and perceptions than they ever would have thought reasonable or useful; and b) way more freedom in their most important relationships than they ever would have thought possible.
Remember the sticky? "Communication is key" to getting through this fundamental change in your relationship style without blowing a gasket. From October through almost all of 2006, Jupiter is going to do its beneficial best to help you learn to communicate in a way that will get you through this Uranus transition.
How? By trying to get you to come to the emotional point in your communications. Like this. If you're stressed, the emotional point is 'I'm stressed.' Not-'here's what you did wrong to make me stressed.' Not-'here's how you can do things in a better way that will make me less stressed.' Just-'I'm stressed.' Or--'I love you;' 'I'm tired;' 'I feel like I need help;' 'I'm confused;' 'I want to make this work.' Just getting to the emotional point and then backing off to listen to the other person's response.
If you can cooperate with Jupiter and practice communicating this way for a year, things will happen. Your partner will have a chance to respond with their own feelings and perceptions, giving you access to vital information about them that you really need. And you will experience a tremendous freedom because you won't have to take responsibility for making things turn out the way you want. The other person will become a full participant in the relationship. It will turn around your basic attitudes about how relationships work. Which is what Uranus is trying to make happen.
I could tell you I don't want to be a pest about this--but actually I do. Uranus is trying to improve your fundamental relationships for the rest of your life. It's a big deal. Even if you haven't felt the slightest hint of relationship stress yet--post that sticky on your computer anyway. Because it will happen and Jupiter is the key to make this transition not only beneficial but bearable.
I know you're already sensitive and wonderful in your relationships and that nothing that's happened is your fault. I know it takes a leap of faith to let go of control, just say your piece briefly and let the other person respond. I know astrological change creates resistance. That's why I'm giving you two full months to get used to the idea. Just put up the sticky, observe, notice, ponder, prepare, and say hmmm. Say 'I'm sure she's wrong, I already get to the emotional point' and then gradually just allow yourself to say 'well, I could put a little more effort into communicating my emotions honestly and without blame. I mean I'm already a good communicator but of course it never hurts to be attentive and precise in everything one does.' There you go-that's good Virgo thinking. I really want this transit to bring you the best relationship luck possible. You deserve it. Take advantage of the opportunity.
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Hi Aries. This month we switch our attention away from financial matters to relationships. (If you still need a bit of help getting your financial house in order by the way, you can use the abundance of planets in Virgo this month to make some headway in your job and maybe scoop up an opportunity to make a bit more dough.) Jupiter, a planet that likes people, has been lolling around in your 7th house of relationships for almost a year. You'd think this would mean that all your relationships would be a mutual love-fest these days, but of course that's not necessarily the case. In some cases, it merely means that things have been changing between you and your partner. Jupiter's real aim is to give you relationship experience and that often includes lows as well as highs. If everything's going great--enjoy! You've got 2 more months of bliss (until the end of October). If they're not, try to practice noticing what you do like about your important relationship(s). Jupiter is a sucker for a positive attitude, so if things haven't been changing the way you'd like, butter him up with some positive thinking. It often helps!
Meanwhile, we're taking some time this month to get prepped for Jupiter's move into Scorpio later in the year, so we can take maximum advantage of it. Jupiter will move into your solar 8th house of sex where it will offer you an opportunity to make a strong emotional connection via your lovemaking. This is kind of an important opportunity since it often doesn't occur to Aries that emotional connection has anything whatsoever to do with sex. In fact, many Ariens suspect that bundling emotion with sex just adds needless and frightening complications to an otherwise straightforward physical release. Oh well. Jupiter in Scorpio thinks differently and if you let it, it will allow you to experience a very strong mutual sexual attraction next year. Do try to prepare for it. Really. Use Jupiter in Libra for the next couple of months to determine if the partner you're with is emotionally harmonious with you. If so, start wrapping your head around all the potential ways you can increase sexual connection (yes, I'm giving you permission to indulge in some serious fantasizing). If not, work now to either buff up the relationship and establish harmony--or figure out how to move on to one where your passions will have the ability to roam free. Otherwise, you could find yourself inconveniently attracted to someone other than the one you're with. And that's why it's good to be prepared.
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! So have you been feeling good this year? I hope so. Jupiter's been in Libra in your 6th house of health and work all year and generally that's a good placement. It can help you get along harmoniously with co-workers and bosses and put you in a decent, cheery mood there. If you do have health issues, you can use the remains of this Jupiter transit (through October 27) to communicate with your doctor about what ails you. In fact, it might not be a bad idea to check in with your friendly health care professional between now and then anyway. Jupiter can bring things to the fore in a beneficial way before they become a problem. As in, I was lucky I got that mole on my shoulder checked out when I did. Things like that.
Meanwhile, let's also get ready for Jupiter's upcoming year long transit of your solar 7th house of getting along with people. On a superficial level, this is usually just an easy transit that hopefully lends itself to a good mood with almost everyone you interact with. Combine it with Mars in your own sign through mid-February and you can make some pretty good headway in the world. Since you've also got other planets in potentially stressful positions (Saturn in your 4th house, and Neptune in your 10th), taking advantage of all the good mood you can get hold of is a nice thing.
On a deeper level though, Jupiter in Scorpio invites you to really consider your most important personal relationships. To weigh out what you want from them and what you're actually getting. If there's a discrepancy, sometimes changes are in order. I know Taurus really doesn't like to make changes of any sort (positive or negative) until it's had a chance to carefully sort things out in its mind. Which is why I bring this up now. You have a good couple of months to deliberate in elegant Taurus fashion if you'd like. If your relationship could stand a little more closeness, quality time, or just general improvement, you can start thinking now about how you could incorporate these things into your life. Put them into action by the end of the year and you'll really enjoy this Jupiter transit all throughout 2006. Not a bad opportunity, if you're up 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.
Gemini, if you have kids I'm going to suggest that this might be a good month to be as compassionate as possible with them. Why? Well, a lot of inner planets are going to be milling about restlessly in Virgo through September and this is often a signal that something on the home front needs attention. If you can jump on any potential issues before they become problematic, you can see good results. The positions of Jupiter and Venus suggest that a compassionate approach is the way to go.
If you don't have kids and are a single person looking for love, you can use this energy in another way. In this case, run around being compassionate with everyone. Why? Because Geminis are not normally known for being ultra-compassionate. Charming, witty, delightful-yes. Compassionate and sympathetic-no. And when you're looking for love, the key to success is to do something different. I swear. Really. Jupiter in Libra will help you out until the end of October if you extend and stretch yourself. If you're already in love, then my advice for the month is to be really really nice to whoever it is you love. Probably good advice all the time anyway, but with Jupiter in your 5th house a little niceness could pay off for you big time.
Now we come to the second part of the forecast, wherein we prep for Jupiter's move into Scorpio at the end of October so we can capitalize on the opportunities it presents all throughout next year. In your case, Jupiter will hang out in your solar 6th house of work and service. This placement will call for more niceness but it also calls for some strategic planning. In essence, this placement will allow you to use your sociable Gemini nature to slide your work-related ambitions closer to fruition. But we already know that Mars is in your 12th house until mid-February, making it a little difficult for you to get things moving. And Saturn is lumbering into your 3rd house of communication, encouraging you to accidentally be more sober, serious and potentially even gloomy in how you interact with people. Which means you need a conscious mental plan for how you're going to use these configurations to get Jupiter benefits on the job. The thing to do is to sit down and figure out two things about your job situation: who do you need to know to get ahead and what can you do for them. Actually think about this. How can you establish mutually beneficial friendly relationships on the job in which you further other people's interests to build up goodwill? It's going to take a while for this strategy to pay off but the truth is your overall chart is in kind of a planning mode these days. With Uranus in Pisces potentially jarring things up on the career front anyway, you need to think things through so you can respond to situations appropriately. It's a perfectly good use of your time these days to look around to see who needs what and how you might be able to help meet their needs. Even if you don't have a job, this is still a good use of your time. Who in your environment needs your services? How can you help? There's a bit of a karma principle at work here, so think long term. And when you see your opportunity to jump in and do some good - take it.
For additional keywords you can use to customize your horoscope - click here. For instructions on how to use the keywords - click here.
So Cancer, how's your home life these days? Good? Great, then enjoy it because Jupiter in Libra is transiting your 4th house for another couple of months (til the end of October). Treat your home as a refuge and retreat from the rest of the world this month. That almost always makes a Cancer happy. Don't even worry about what's happening in the rest of the sky. Things not so good? Okay, don't worry about that either. Jupiter rewards optimism so don your most optimistic hat and do something to improve things. Don't overthink this (Jupiter never does), just do something. If things are neither good nor bad then indulge your Cancer home-loving self and take up a little project around the house to make you feel cheery. Jupiter almost always provides opportunities to be cheery if you work with it.
Now let's talk about Jupiter's move into Scorpio and your 5th house in at the end of October. Let's talk about that because it's a good thing and many Cancers are in sore need of some good things. Love, sex and fun are on the agenda if you want them to be. Especially fun because Cancers need to make up for the recent travails of Saturn in their sign and have some good old-fashioned friendly, flirtatious fun. There's only one potential hitch. Jupiter will be asking you to be honest to obtain these benefits. Well, why would that be a hitch? Cancers are honest, aren't they? Of course they are. They're just usually honest in a reserved and private way. Jupiter wants you to be honest in a more expansive, outgoing way. Hmmm...that make take a little preparation. Your Cancer principles are sound and your heart is in the right place. But if you're a typical Cancer no matter how you behave on the outside, that sensitive heart has been forced into self-protection mode. Now it needs to be coaxed into revealing itself. Coaxed, not forced. So while you're puttering around the house just think a little bit about how you might hold back parts of yourself from others just so you won't get hurt. And then just think about how you might find a way to be a little more honest about your sensitivity without freaking yourself out. I'm not talking about renting a billboard here. Just kind of mulling over how you'll handle getting back into the dating game if that's applicable. Or how you can let your kids know what's really been going on. Or how you can open up to friendship on a more vulnerable level. Or...well you get the picture. You know the areas where you hide yourself. From November through almost all of 2006, Jupiter is going to try to gently convince you that maybe you don't have to anymore.
For keywords you can use to customize an alternate interpretation- click here. For instructions on how to use the keywords - click here.
Hi Leo! This month's highlighted planet is Jupiter, a planet that ordinarily gets along well with your Leo energies. All this year, Jupiter's been in Libra in your 3rd house. This is exactly the kind of placement your sign usually gets along with. It simply says why not be straightforward with everyone you meet; things will probably work out well that way. This is the kind of thinking most Leos can endorse. Things do work out well when a Leo is straightforward with people. Really well. If there's anybody you're not being straightforward with in your life, rush right out this month, look them straight in the eye and be honest. In fact, get any lingering problems of this sort cleared out before Jupiter leaves Libra at the end of October. The person on the other end may or may not be thrilled with your straightforwardness, but it'll be good for your karma, your energy field, or maybe just your state of mind. Clear it out because by the end of October you'll have plenty else to deal with.
When Jupiter enters Scorpio on October 27, it'll hit your 4th house all through the rest of the year and almost all of 2006. This is the house of home and family, your parents and sometimes the obligations that go with being a parent yourself. In this house, Jupiter will be directly competing with your own personal needs, your relationship needs, and your career needs. It may take some study to figure out how to fit everything in. Your parents may need or want more attention, your kids, your house...and so on. I suspect you'll need to set some clear boundaries. Part of the key to this is not to solve problems you don't have.
You see, Jupiter and Saturn (now in your own sign) have differing approaches and they're squaring off against each other. Saturn tries religiously hard to prepare by solving problems in advance, long before they appear and sometimes even when they don't exist. Jupiter, on the other hand, adopts a 'what, me worry?' approach and ignores them on the theory it'll all work out somehow. Both approaches have their merit, but in your case it seems particularly important not to solve your family's problems, particularly if they're not really problems yet. Take the Jupiter approach and figure they'll just work themselves out if you don't interfere. The other key is a healthy dose of Leo self-respect and not getting dragged into things you don't need to be dragged into.
If you have some spare time this month, it might be worthwhile to sketch out what you anticipate you'll have going on over the next several months, your obligations, your goals, and so on. Sit down and see if you can realistically figure out how to balance everything without taking on too much. There are a lot of oppositions by sign in your chart and oppositions are all about balance. This is a good way to use up some Saturn energy. (We'll talk more about Saturn and you next month as well.) Jupiter in Scorpio in your 4th house can be a very favorable transit for both you and your family--if you don't let it get out of hand and turn into just too much. Figure out now how to set those boundaries.
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
Hello Libra! Did you know that Jupiter has been transiting your sign since around the time of your birthday last year? Jupiter is supposed to be a good luck planet so you'd think that would mean that all Libras have enjoyed fabulous good luck all throughout 2005. Well, perhaps some of you have but often what Jupiter does is allow you to relax a little under the surface, even when circumstances are stressful. It gives you a bit more resilience. This is a welcome and good thing but it doesn't always translate into external signs of good luck. Jupiter often just sort of watches your back even when the other planets are acting up. This month I'm going to offer you a way to increase that sense of relaxation and capitalize on it. Exercise! Okay, now I know that doesn't necessarily sound all that glamorous but Jupiter in one's own sign often leads to spontaneous weight gain. Jupiter doesn't take well to counteracting this with calorie restriction or dieting (Jupiter doesn't like restriction period), but it loves to get out and powerwalk to burn off some of its naturally expansive energy. This is the month to take advantage of Jupiter energy because it's the month before your birthday and most of the inner planets are gathering in your solar 12th house so they can mull things over in preparation for your next solar year. Exercise is a great way to clear your mind when planets are gathered there and it definitely beats lying awake at night vaguely worrying about things.
Here's something to mull over and fantasize about as you get your exercise this month. Jupiter will be moving into Scorpio at the end of October, where it'll spend about 13 months in your second solar house of money and possessions. For Libras in particular, Jupiter in the solar 2nd can bring on an abundance of stuff, as in tangible stuff that takes up space in your home and your closet. The connection with the 8th house can bring stuff you inherit. Stuff you buy. Stuff people give you. It can increase your income, giving you a desire to purchase and tote home even more stuff. Not all Libras have an innate attraction to having lots of stuff, but the sign itself can hardly resist a good piece of furniture. Libra likes nice stuff. With Jupiter in the house of stuff, you can sometimes find yourself buried in so much stuff you can barely move. Stuff you like, stuff you don't, and stuff you don't know what to do with. You can counteract this of course by being a logical Libra and making your stuff-related decisions very rationally. But since you have the opportunity this month, why not invest some quality time daydreaming about how you can upgrade your stuff with Jupiter's help over the next year. Do you need to clear out some old stuff to make room for new? Perfect time to do it. Have you long wanted to replace your carpet, get some new decorations, refinish your furniture? Perfect time to draw up a plan in your mind of all the improvements you'd like to make over the next year. I'm not saying that if you do this a fabulous new bedroom set will magically show up at your door on October 27. But I'll bet you can make a lot happen before the end of 2006 if you think out a logical plan.
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, this month we're focusing mainly on Jupiter, a planet that's been transiting your solar 12th house since the end of September 2004. Jupiter is generally a happy planet, but when it hangs out in the 12th house, occasionally it indulges in a little reverse action. I don't know if it's affected you this way but for some people Jupiter in the 12th brings sudden, unexplained dips in confidence. It's as though a person suddenly falls down a well of self-doubts for a period. Sometimes a person feels a little blue. Sometimes they wake up in the middle of night thinking 'What am I doing with my life?! Where am I going?! What was I thinking and how did I end up here?!' It can be a little unnerving. From time to time you might feel you're drifting, or a bit unmoored. What Jupiter is actually doing is diving down into the depths of the subconscious (represented by the 12th house) and pulling up any outdated tangles of unself-confidence so it can toss them out. While you're sleeping (literally, the 12th house works through dreams), Jupiter dredges up old business, takes a look at it and then throws it in the trash can. Doubts you have now don't mean anything, they're just flashes from the past playing themselves out. Feel free to remember this as you go through the month.
Jupiter does this housecleaning in preparation for your next cycle, which begins October 27 and lasts for 13 months. Jupiter will be in your own sign then, asking you to be a determined type Scorpio once again. Once it gets into your solar first house, Jupiter will be wanting you to pursue your own interests, particularly attending to your emotional self-interest. Do you know what's in your own emotional interests these days? Do you need to start or break off a relationship? Do you need to concentrate on yourself these days? What do you need to not just live well, but feel good? What would make you happy? Maybe you're not sure right at the moment. But you can work with your dreams or whatever other mode you'd like to use to get in touch with your unconscious and get a little clarity. And then, by the time your birthday rolls around in a couple of months, it'll be your cue to start acting as though you really truly believe that you can achieve emotional happiness next year. Keep this thought in mind Scorpio and don't let anything deter you.
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
Hey Sagittarius, so this month we talk about your ruling planet, Jupiter. All year it's been in your solar 11th house of friends, and hopefully you've made some new ones this year. If you're still dissatisfied with this area of your life, feel free to initiate whatever changes you desire. You have until October 27 to make use of this energy. A number of inner planets will move into Virgo at some point this month as well, into your solar 10th house of career. If you'd like to kill two birds with one stone, make friends in your career field. And if you have to choose between a career and a friendship matter - go with the friendship. It's more likely to pay off for you long-term.
Here's why. After October 27, Jupiter will spend a good 13 months in your solar 12th house, where it's possible it won't do as much for you as it usually does. It will fulfill its vital function of making sure things never get too too crazy next year, but still...you may have to pay more attention to the placements of the other planets for awhile. Especially Saturn in Leo in your 9th house. This isn't necessarily a bad thing (we'll talk more about it next month), but it may well be that travel, or the need to relocate, will require more of your attention from November on. Moving, if that's what you need to do (or think about), isn't necessarily easy and you'll need to be on your game and thinking straight to have matters turn out smoothly in 2006. That's one reason I'd like you to give preference to building up your good old-fashioned 11th house support network of friends for awhile. Friends are invaluable during any sort of transition. Things will be back to normal by 2007, but in the meantime keep your connections with others strong.
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, have you tell been telling everyone what you'd like to achieve on the career front this year? If not, get cracking! You've got two more months (til October 27) to make use of Jupiter's placement in your 10th house of career. You may already have seen some impact from this placement (as in good things happening in your career) and if you have, I'm happy for you. Capricorns feel better when their careers are going well. If you haven't seen as much progress as you'd like yet, get out there and chat up everyone you know. Network. Libra, the sign ruling your solar 10th, is a people-oriented, relationship sign. It works best through others. I'm not saying you can't put your nose to the grindstone if you want, I'm just saying don't rely on that strategy entirely. Let people know what you want. I know a Jupiter transit doesn't automatically make things go smoothly or easily. But even if things are a little bumpy, it's worth making the effort.
Once Jupiter enters Scorpio on October 27, turn your attention to your hopes and wishes. Your secret hopes and wishes. Your big hopes and wishes. The hopes and wishes that are just fantasies. The ones you don't really believe in. Make yourself a note that from October 27 all the way through 2006, you will meditate on these hopes and wishes. You will meditate on having faith that they can become realities not fantasies. You have 13 months, while Jupiter is in your solar 11th house, to switch your thinking so that the things that hold you back from your big dreams don't do that anymore. The first step towards accomplishing this is belief--faith. You need to believe these things are realistic and behave as though they can be. This is particularly important for the Capricorns of the world because this isn't what the sign does naturally. No matter. Believe and have faith. Every day. For over a year. Stuff will happen. You have an exciting chart and the opportunity of a decade coming up, Capricorn. Take advantage of it.
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AQUARIUS: JANUARY 20 - FEBRUARY 18
Ah Aquarius, you have so much going on in your chart, I'm sure I'm not even going to begin to cover it all adequately. Mars is still in your 4th house, squaring your sun by sign. It may very well be encouraging you to throw caution to the winds in how you relate to your family members, particularly if you feel like telling them off for reasons current or past. Only you can decide if it's better to bring whatever it is that might be bugging you to the surface and get it out in the open. Or whether you'll end up just saying things you'll regret later when Mars leaves this placement in mid-February and stops messing with your emotions. It's a bit hard to sort out particularly since Jupiter has been very aggressively encouraging you to get the heck out of Dodge. It's been in Libra in your 9th house since last October and it really really wants you to go somewhere. Hopefully you have. Hopefully, you've squeezed in an exotic foreign vacation in spite of the fact that Saturn was glaring at you from its position in Cancer and your solar 6th house for most of the year. If not, can you get away from it all now? Or soon? Preferably somewhere overseas? Where they don't have telephones? Okay, I know it's not realistic for a lot of you. Not all of us can hop on a plane to Paris every year. But if there's any way....if you can beg, borrow, plan, steal, scheme, daydream, take a virtual vacation... Most of you need a vacation of some sort, especially before Jupiter heats things up in your solar 10th house at the end of October. If you can't actually get out of town, do at least try to give yourself some mental refreshment by planning out your dream vacation and tacking pictures of it to the wall. Hopefully, you'll get to go soon.
Once Jupiter moves into your 10th house of career and material responsibilities on October 27, things get a bit tricky. For a lot of reasons. Saturn has finally moved from your solar 6th house of work, where it's been doing its best to overload you. Now, with Jupiter moving into your 10th, there's a pent-up desire in your chart to just jump on any sort of career-expanding opportunity as an antidote to mean old Saturn--which just encourages you to overload yourself again. I totally understand the desire to jump on new opportunities, but I'm not sure it's in your best interests to jump on anything that comes along. I'd actually exercise caution in that area. Jupiter may bring you an offer you can't refuse--and you don't want to be so over-obligated with minor responsibilities that you can't take advantage of it. Be prudent in taking on new projects, I'd say. Make it your motto to work smarter, not harder this coming year. You've already been working too hard.
Also, Aquarians tend to be a bit all or nothing in their careers. They tend to be secret pioneers in the areas that are most important to them and either the rest of the world gets it or it doesn't. Usually it doesn't, at least not for awhile. And I have a feeling the coming year might not actually be your best to broadcast your career ambitions. See, Jupiter will be competing in a square by sign aspect with your family (through mid-February), your relationships, and your personal needs. The energy could easily bounce around amongst the planets with not much to show for it.
With Saturn parked in the house that rules your relationships with others, I'm not convinced you're going to make your best career progress going through other people. I suspect you'll actually make your best progress behind the scenes. I'd suggest picking the career ambition that means the most to you (not the most practical, the one closest to your heart) and reserving some time to further it along. Have faith in what you've already done and got going. Try, if possible, not to abandon your real dreams for the next big thing. Jupiter in this position can actually be incredibly powerful for you but I have a guess (it is just a guess) that the work you do for yourself, and on faith in what you really believe in, will pay off the most for you--after the Jupiter transit is complete by November 2006.
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
I don't know if you can tell, but Jupiter, the planet that loves travel and all things that broaden the mind is chomping at the bit to get you out and about. It's practically jumping up and down with excitement. It's been stuck in your solar 8th house all year, a position where it feels like it never gets to do any of the things it loves. If you love to travel the way Jupiter does, feel free to plan a trip for any time after October 27 when it will enter your solar 9th house. Planning is the key word here, because Jupiter is going to be competing for your time with a bunch of other planets. Mars wants to make your daily life busy; Saturn wants to make your work life busy; and Neptune wants to make your mind busy.
Add to this the fact that Jupiter tends to be overly confident of its ability to do everything at once and you may have a lot of competing agendas on your hands. Jupiter may say, 'let's go traveling and sign up for some additional educational pursuits so we can be super, super busy'. Or it may say, 'in fact, let's go study abroad!' It may say a lot of things actually. It may want you to get out and meet people. It may want you to further your career ambitions. It may want to make your head spin. The key to handling this upcoming energy is...well, planning as I mentioned before. If you want to do the fun things Jupiter suggests, you'll most likely need to plan out exactly how and when. But more importantly, you can understand that Jupiter just wants you to do something to expand your horizons. You don't actually have to do everything. Jupiter in the solar 9th is a very powerful influence. You'll need to do something to make it happy. But you can choose what that is. Start thinking now about what ambitious project you'd like to take on in the coming months (the influence stretches from October 27, 2005 through November, 2006). A happy Jupiter is a wonderful thing. A frustrated Jupiter--well, let's not even talk about that.
For keywords you can use to customize your horoscope - click here. For instructions on how to use the keywords - click here.
JUPITER
AND THE NATURE OF LUCK
Jupiter is an almost insanely brave planet. It also loves justice, defends the downtrodden, will make friends with anyone, and operates on faith. It's kind of a surprising mix, perhaps, for the planet associated with good fortune. Like the sign and house it rules (Sagittarius and the 9th house) Jupiter has a lot more going on than its designation as a 'greater benefic' might suggest.
Still, it's the luck associated with Jupiter that most people are most interested in, so let's take a look at how it works. We'll turn for explanation to R. Buckminster Fuller, American architect, engineer, genius, innovator, world traveler, friendly guy, and all-around Jupiter person. He expressed a life philosophy to the effect that the universe will come to your aid always and only just in the nick of time. Jupiter couldn't have said it better himself!
Accessing Jupiter luck actually takes a great deal of courage. It's a special kind of courage though. Saturn provides the kind of courage that comes from a willingness to endure difficulty to achieve a goal. Mars provides the kind of courage that's willing to brave pain or danger for something important. Jupiter, on the other hand, provides the kind of bravery that comes from a complete unwillingness to believe that potential danger even exists! It's the eternal optimist.
Show Jupiter a losing battle and it will be convinced it can be won. Show Jupiter a bad person and it will be convinced he or she can be reformed. Show Jupiter a longshot idea and it will believe it's possible. Jupiter is firmly convinced that the universe is a benign place and it can't be persuaded otherwise. It wants you to believe the same thing.
Jupiter is the faith-testing planet. It will come to your aid alright, always and only just in the nick of time. If you believe, if you are willing to believe and proceed as though the universe is a benign place and everything will work out if you're operating on the side of the good guys--Jupiter will be right there with you. At the last moment, but it will be right there with you.
The problem is, most of the other planets don't share Jupiter's view of the universe and right at the times when we most want or need Jupiter luck--we blink. We need to risk our life savings and our income in order to fulfill an idealistic dream that reflects our heart's deepest desires? Jupiter's on your side. Saturn, however, is chewing his nails off with anxiety and screaming 'Are you crazy?! Your children will starve!'
Sometimes Saturn is sort of right. Not every hare-brained Jupiterian scheme is destined for greatness. But Jupiter is right too. Luck takes bravery. It takes faith. It takes optimism. It takes believing the universe is a benign place in spite of a great deal of evidence to the contrary. The difference between the tremendously successful and the also-rans is that the also-rans give up when common sense, difficulty, pain, and danger tell them it's not worth it to have faith anymore. Jupiter, however, is all about tremendous success. It just takes nerves of steel to get there. Read the biographies of most successful people and you'll discover that at some point common sense just wasn't enough. Faith was required to bridge the gaps.
And that's why most of us aren't destined for the tremendous heights of Jupiter luck. We have other planets. Planets that value hard work, aggressive action, passive acceptance, ego-protection, or freedom over sheer blind faith. This is a good thing. The other planets and their values get important things accomplished for the world. But Jupiter has his place too.
Anyone can increase their Jupiter luck by exercising faith and bravery as if these things were muscles that could be strengthened. Because they are. Try this exercise for awhile and see how much Jupiter luck you can access.
Pick something in the area that Jupiter is transiting for you that you need but have no earthly idea how exactly you could obtain. Money for college. A job. Equipment or supplies to fulfill a creative dream. Furniture for your kids. A car that doesn't break down all the time. Something that you just don't have the resources to obtain, it seems. Tell yourself that because you need it, you'll get it somehow. Pursue every avenue for obtaining it that you can. Meet with frustration and dead ends. Keep going. Refuse to believe it's impossible just because it's not sensible. Count on getting what you need. Meet with more frustration. Keep going anyway. And then watch how your need gets fulfilled at the last moment and in an unexpected way. Often astoundingly easily. Suddenly you find out there's a scholarship for Armenian left-handers seeking to study plate tectonics in China. You happy to be the only Armenian left-hander with such an interest in all of the US. A job you applied for a year ago re-opens and they want you desperately. A neighbor moves into the next door apartment looking to get rid of the equipment you need. And so on.
It's a nerve-wracking roller coaster ride, I'll admit, packing your clothes for college when you have no idea how you'll pay for it. But that's the way Jupiter does things. It's the principle of synchronicity at work. And once you get the hang of putting into practice religiously, Jupiter will even find a parking space for you in Manhattan. Every once in a while, you'll probably want a break from Jupiter optimism and to go back to the default human setting of suspiciousness and worry. But it's good to know that Jupiter is always lurking somewhere in the sky, ready and waiting to convince you the universe is benign after all--if you're willing to let it prove it to you.
Some additonal keywords for Jupiter: Sports, grand ambitions, success, curiosity, variety, expansiveness, generosity, idealism, good naturedness, a philosophical outlook, extravagance, and honesty.
Some keywords for Libra: Peace, beauty, harmony, marriage, daintiness, laziness, modesty, aesthetic pursuits, neatness, precision, the arts, cultural pursuits.
Some Keywords for the 1st house: The physical body, self-centered interests, assertion, spontaneous action, instinctive attitudes, personal enthusiasms, ideals, and goals.
Some keywords for the 2nd house: Money, possessions, security, practicality, constructive action, personal resources, insecurities, and fears.
Some keywords for the 3rd house: Communication, relationship to one's immediate environment, daily life, moods, adaptability, sociability, short travel, mental activity, wit, and humor.
Some keywords for the 4th house: Home, parents, beginnings, endings, deep emotions, cocooning, moods, and sensitivity.
Some keywords for the 5th house: Children, love affairs, fun, recreation, showing off, gambling, and creativity.
Some keywords for the 6th house: Health, service, efficiency, and one's job.
Some keywords for the 7th house: Partners, how you get along with others, one on one relationships, marriage, and the public.
Some keywords for the 8th house: Sex, self-sacrifice, joint finances, mystery, death, secrets, the paranormal, power, and legacies.
Some keywords for the 9th house: Travel, education, mind-broadening activities, justice, publishing, and religion.
Some keywords for the 10th house: The career, material responsibilities, social status, and ambitions.
Some keywords for the 11th house: Friends, hopes and wishes, group activities, idealism, opinions of society, and humanitarian impulses.
Some keywords for the 12th house: Escapism, self-doubts, confinement, sacrifice, mysticism, spirituality, the unconscious, psychic knowledge, universal compassion, suffering, the sensation of oneness with all things.
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!