Milky Way Astrology

Your Milky Way Horoscope Feb. 5-11, 2012

2012-01-28T18:21:00.000-08:00

By Milky Way Maid

Saturn goes retrograde at 29 degrees Libra at 9:03 am Tuesday. It will remain retrograde until June 25 when it will be at 22 degrees, 46' of Libra. The interpretation of this change in direction depends on what house in your chart Saturn rules. In other words, look at where Capricorn is, what house is it on the cusp of? If it is say, fourth house, then matters related to home and family will not proceed smoothly. Perhaps it will not be a good time to try to buy a new house, nor renovate the home you presently reside in.

The Sun is conjunct Mercury at 4:02 am Tuesday, at 16 degrees Aquarius. This is also a Full Moon day (Sun opposite Moon), so it should be interesting re the economy. You may have trouble sitting still today, but when you do, you can concentrate on details and clear the inbox of messages. Logic suffers due to the opposition to the moon, although it can be helpful to consider the emotional impact of your words.

Venus enters Aries at 1:01 am Wednesday. Venus in Aries wants to retain a measure of independence in her relationships. The Aries Venus can be competitive with loved ones, an attitude that can confuse and alienate the ones she loves. On the plus side, a healthy Aries Venus is a real self-starter in social situations, introducing herself, inspiring others, helping others become self-reliant. Venus in Aries also favors one's talents in the hairstyling profession.

Thursday is a hot day for romance: not only does Venus conjunct Uranus at 2 degrees Aries, but the Moon also joins Mars about midnight. (The Moon later opposes Venus-Uranus on Friday evening.) Venus-Uranus can strike like lightning. One is strongly attracted to unusual people, those who are foreigners, bohemian types, or rebels. This kind of meeting may or may not signify a lasting bond (usually quite the opposite); it all depends on the synastry in the charts of the two individuals involved.

The asteroid Pallas Athena enters Pisces at 12:05 am Sunday, Feb. 12. Pallas is not really comfortable in such a feeling, spiritual sign like Pisces. Pisceans may be quite stressed and torn between the influence of Neptune in their sign (bringing out latent spiritual and humanitarian values) and the very practical, very self-controlled Pallas. Pallas might allow herself to respond to music, and that is about it for her. Pallas remains in Pisces until about mid-May, then the Neptune influence can begin to express itself more freely and openly.

COOL LINK ALERT! Go to http://www.solarsystemscope.com/ for a view of our solar system and nearby stars.
Please visit my twin site on Blogger if you would like these articles translated into Spanish, French, German, Japanese or any other language. Link: http://milky-way-astrology.blogspot.com/

ALSO – see my popular article on late degrees of all the signs. Link: http://milky-way-astrology.blogspot.com/2008/08/planets-in-late-degrees-what-do-they.html
ALSO – see new article on The Goddess Archetypes: The Pallas Athena Myth at http://milky-way-astrology.blogspot.com/2011/07/goddess-archetypes-pallas-athena-myth.html --- also as you read it you may also avail yourself of the excellent QUESTIONNAIRE on the Goddess-Power website at http://goddess-power.com/questions.htm to determine your own goddess profile.
ALSO – check out Astrology.com -- free lessons online

Readers can follow not only their Sun sign horoscope but also the sign of their Ascendant for further clues to how your week will develop. Also note: some aspects are exact on a weekend but may find opportunity for expression on the Friday or Monday nearest the exact aspect. Times given are in Eastern Standard or Eastern Daylight Savings Time depending on the season.

ARIES - March 20-April 19 – You are home-oriented this Sunday, and enjoy playing with the kids after supper. Monday morning's commute can be frustrating; allow plenty of time to get to work. Midday favors fun and laughs. Tuesday's Full Moon accents self-expression and creativity, possibly when you meet like-minded new friends. You may feel like quite a wild-n-crazy guy Thursday night. Reserve a table at that romantic restaurant Friday night.

TAURUS - April 20-May 20 – You may enjoy a school event Sunday night. Monday afternoon will frustrate you due to limitations at work. Tuesday's Full Moon accents the juggling act between demands of work and family. You enjoy a fun exchange with a handsome stranger Thursday night. You may give someone an unusual gift Friday night. Saturday may call on your creative solutions to household problems.

GEMINI - May 21-June 20 – You pick up a little something for the house Sunday afternoon. You sneak a good chat with a friend into your Monday lunch break. Tuesday's Full Moon accents classes, messages, teaching and writing. On Wednesday you invite some friends for a craft session. And on Thursday a friend introduces you to a charming stranger. Friday favors attending an arts event or concert. Children can be antsy Saturday but you will need to turn their energies toward a constructive outlet.

CANCER - June 21-July 22 – The week begins with the Moon in its home, Cancer, until Monday morning. Sunday morning can be awkward; you usually know just how to connect with people but here you feel like you speak different languages. Cut them some some slack and try later. About 6 pm is better for relating to males, and for exercise and games. Monday morning nixes any favors you ask of others. A pleasant surprise arrives midday, tho. The accent is definitely on home n family for the weekend. An unusual person arrives in the workplace late in the week.

LEO - July 23-Aug. 22 – The Moon is in Leo from 8:24 am Monday till midday Wednesday. Have lunch with a funny person Monday. You may have a hard time finding a receptive audience for your sales talks Tuesday, altho you can clear your desk of the backlogged papers and messages. Hide your credit card from yourself Wednesday. Thursday night favors asking hubby for some pocket money. You may meet a fascinating foreigner Friday. (say that three times fast)

VIRGO - Aug. 23-Sept. 22 – Sunday favors having a friend over for dinner, possibly a barbecue. Tuesday is a whirlwind at work, with lots of messages and visitors. The Moon is in Virgo from 12:32 pm Wednesday till Friday afternoon. You may change your opinion of the attractive foreigner Thursday. You could change the interest rate or other terms of a contract Friday; shop around for a better rate. Push can come to shove Saturday morning.

LIBRA - Sept. 23-Oct. 22 – Spend your frustrated energy on creative outlets Sunday. Midday Monday, you may get interested in a position with a non-profit. The community theatre or arts program might be on the agenda for Tuesday. The Moon is in Libra from 2:54 pm Friday till next Sunday. On Thursday, go with your mate to a tres' romantic restaurant, and fall in love again. Unattached Librans may well remedy their status with an unusual prospect. Saturday morn places obstacles in your path, but by midday you find someone who owes you a teensy favor to help.

SCORPIO - Oct. 23-Nov. 21 – The week begins with the Moon in compatible Cancer. You might get creative with the morning brunch, and play a friendly game of chess after supper. Work issues take an upturn Monday, and you could make the presentation Tuesday morning. Be generous with your time with your mate Thursday night. Some wonderful new software improves office operations Friday. Can't promise you a relaxing Saturday, but midday does offer love and appreciation.

SAGITTARIUS - Nov. 22-Dec. 21 – Monday morn can be stressful, but midday favors getting people together to generate ideas. The Full Moon Tuesday emphasizes communication, education, and broadcasting ideas. Work issues may be relieved by Wednesday evening. The Venus-Uranus conjunction Thursday night favors dating that attractive foreigner. Accompany a friend to an art showing Friday night.

CAPRICORN - Dec. 22-Jan. 19 - Encourage your mate's internet activities Sunday; you might show him or her some websites that offer free space for blogs or private journaling. The Full Moon on Tuesday accents financial activities; you may find a lender. Wednesday night favors starting a building project or other production. An attractive foreigner may visit your home Thursday for dinner. Friday night can be stressful; maybe you want to stay in.

AQUARIUS - Jan. 20-Feb. 17 – You may be thrust into a spokesperson role on Monday. Tuesday's Full Moon accents seventh house relationship issues, with an increase in communications. On Wednesday you may locate a mortgage lender or negotiate the terms you already have. You enjoy a local travelogue Thursday night or Friday. On Saturday you may check out the local library's collection for more about that country or culture.

PISCES - Feb. 18-March 19 – The week begins with the Moon in compatible Cancer. You enjoy going with your mate to a game Sunday night. Midday Monday presents an opportunity to earn some extra cash. Tuesday's Full Moon accents finding more information on health matters. You might enjoy tagging along with your mate to a local class Wednesday night. Thursday night presents upsets about money; keep hold of your wallet. Set aside time on the weekend for creative expression.

Weekly Horoscope for Jan. 29-31, Feb. 1-4, 2012

2012-01-21T13:38:00.000-08:00

by Milky Way Maid

Juno enters Sag at 9:13 am Sunday, Jan. 29. Juno in Sag is more likely to be married to their careers, especially if it allows them to travel. A Sag-Juno marital partner needs a good deal of freedom, possibly even to travel alone. Wants a mate who brings travel and new interests into his or her life.

The Moon is conjunct Jupiter at 6:29 am Monday at 2 degrees Taurus. This is a repeat of the conjunction on Jan. 2, which was at zero degrees. Try to keep an eye on whether it contacts (or aspects) natal planets, as it could be quite lucky for some of us.

Venus in Pisces opposes Mars at 22 degrees Virgo at 6:41 pm Wednesday. Physical attraction may start a relationship of sorts, but doesn't often last. Mars softens and minds his manners, acting more like the Knight in Shining Armor. Therefore Venus finds him much more attractive than usual. He may just be being nice till he gets what he wants. A good time to apply that Venus energy to artistic projects.

Happy Groundhog Day and Imbolc (pronounced im-milk) on Thurs., Feb. 2. You may wish to watch the Bill Murray movie yet again, or read the book, “The Magic of Groundhog Day” about the impact the film has had on people's lives.

Neptune enters Pisces at 2:03 pm, Feb. 3. Neptune is at home as the modern ruler of Pisces. Neptune dissolves boundaries between people; you may be able to empathize with others where you would not have been able to do so before. There is so little on Neptune in Pisces in the books (other than it heralded the coming of several spiritual leaders) that I will make note of Neptune in the houses below. Please note that Neptune makes an inconjunct to Juno entering Sag this week, too, and I suspect that some partnerships (Juno) may dissolve (Neptune) or at least be threatened under this transit.

COOL LINK ALERT! Go to http://www.solarsystemscope.com/ for a view of our solar system and nearby stars.
Please visit my twin site on Blogger if you would like these articles translated into Spanish, French, German, Japanese or any other language. Link: http://milky-way-astrology.blogspot.com/

NEPTUNE IN THE HOUSES:

Neptune in the first- Tries to act on personal ideals of behavior, but others may react with suspicion. Can become very shy and ultra-sensitive to criticism or others' reactions toward self. Needs to continue to be true to self.

Neptune in the second- Tries to prove their worth by making money, which tends to slip thru their fingers. Needs to find their intrinsic self-worth, and learn how to trust the universe to support self and how to in turn support and share items with others.

Neptune in the third- May feel like non one understands you! But it would help to make a real effort to let their spontaneity move them to express themselves in a genuine way. Let go of ideas of “proper” ways to speak-act-etc. and free yourself to be honest and sincere.

Neptune in the fourth- May have illusions about family members being perfect, then be terribly disappointed when they do not act supportive in the crunch. A more realistic mindset will spare you the disappointment, and allow you to enjoy them as they are. Look to the larger family of humanity.

Neptune in the fifth- Romantic ideals may ruin the ability to enjoy many kinds of people of all ages. Being honest about your need for loyalty in a partner may spare you unnecessary heartbreaks. Unleash your playfulness and ability to see things as a child. Often helps with wonderful artistic sense and expression.

Neptune in the sixth- May be prone to a self-sacrificing role in work, which may lead to real health problems. You need to accept that you, too, need to be cared for by you. You can then be of greater service to the general community.

Neptune in the seventh- Often prone to unrealistic expectations of partners, leading to disenchantment and disillusion. Try to appreciate the small joys and small gestures of love. Encourage others to follow their highest ideals.

Neptune in the eighth- Can be prone to trying to overpower others with their sexual nature, to control the partner in the relationship.

Neptune in the ninth- Can try to appear to be intelligent and so forth, while spending a lot of energy to maintain this illusion. Yet they can have a gift for absorbing a great deal of material like a sponge. Can be a wonderfully intuitive student, or a philosophical teacher.

Neptune in the tenth- Can be like the wizard behind the curtain in the Wizard of Oz, building themselves up to be more than they are. When in truth, they may have some wonderful gifts and talents that are truly unique. Needs to let go of a need for acknowledgment or awards.

Neptune in the eleventh- Best expressed in working with non-profit or charitable organizations. A wonderful, selfless friend to all who works to improve the community and to be egalitarian in spreading around his or her bounty. But be realistic; if you accomplish just one good thing in a year, you are doing great.

Neptune in the twelfth- These people are found volunteering in hospitals and nursing homes, or running retreats (spiritual or otherwise). May have a getaway cabin where they paint or practice other artistic pursuits.

PS – I listed a few used astrology books for sale on Amazon Books; Part Two was posted July 1! **Includes a classic Alan Leo book** Look for reviews in my column with a link to the listing. Some prices now reduced. Thanks for your support (and patience). Note that the Intuition book, listed in Part One, has sold.

ALSO – see my popular article on late degrees of all the signs. Link: http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2008/08/15/planets-in-late-degrees-what-do-they-mean/
ALSO – see new article on The Goddess Archetypes: The Pallas Athena Myth at http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/the-goddess-archetypes-the-pallas-athena-myth/ --- also as you read it you may also avail yourself of the excellent QUESTIONNAIRE on the Goddess-Power website at http://goddess-power.com/questions.htm to determine your own goddess profile.
ALSO – check out Astrology.com -- free lessons online

Readers can follow not only their Sun sign horoscope but also the sign of their Ascendant for further clues to how your week will develop. Also note: some aspects are exact on a weekend but may find opportunity for expression on the Friday or Monday nearest the exact aspect. Times given are in Eastern Standard or Eastern Daylight Savings Time depending on the season.

ARIES - March 20-April 19 - The Moon is still in Aries as the week begins, until the wee hours of Monday. Beware of unwelcome advances at work early in the week. Monday morning could be a bit lucky for you, it's OK to spend a buck on a quick-pick. You may be too self-absorbed Monday, leading to your mate feeling miffed by evening. Thursday you might be able to introduce a sibling to a club you belong to. Friday may be stressful, or challenging, depending on your view. You may spend time in a medical facility, but we hope just for a checkup. Juno enters your ninth house: you may begin traveling with your mate a great deal.

TAURUS - April 20-May 20 - The Moon is in Taurus from 1:28 am Monday till Wednesday afternoon (Feb. 1). Monday morning may be particularly lucky for you, at least bringing a feeling of confidence and optimism. Your energy may keep you up late Tuesday, so have the to-do list handy. Stay alert after lunch Wednesday; brain fog may set in. Be especially of sticking to your budget Friday. You enjoy a school event Saturday morning. Juno enters your solar eighth house, where she helps you attract a financially solid mate.

GEMINI - May 21-June 20 - Sunday, a friend may share a tip on how to juggle work and family. The Moon is in Gemini from 2:14 pm Wednesday till about midnight Friday. Meeting a friend after work Wednesday can end up in a fit of the giggles (but watch the budget). A lawyer may promise to help your case Thursday morning. Friday can be stressful trying to balance work and family. Don't even let a friend hint about borrowing from you Saturday. With Juno entering your seventh house, Gemini voted most likely to marry well this year (tho you must make a special effort to get on with the in-laws).

CANCER - June 21-July 22 - With the Moon-Jupiter conjunction in your solar eleventh house, a friend may be quite generous Monday morning. You contribute your energy to a club meeting Tuesday night, when a Mars trine keeps you on the go. Be a bit skeptical about too flowery or too charming messages Wednesday pm, and again Friday. The Moon is at home in Cancer from 1:04 am Saturday thru the weekend. A change agent may show up early Saturday. A friend may be a lifesaver mid-morning. Juno enters your solar sixth house Monday; you may become married to your job, or actually work with your mate.

LEO - July 23-Aug. 22 - Endings and beginnings are in store this week and month for Leos in the romance department. Be prepared to charm some new faces. Also children and creative projects take up your attention more and more; you may even turn a hobby into a paying concern. Keep an eagle on finances Wednesday night and Friday; this includes noting when bills are due. If you have natal planets early in Leo, then this week is an especially good time for generating ideas and putting them in action. A light bulb may go off in your head. Juno enters your solar fifth house Monday, helping you resolve to a more committed relationship.

VIRGO - Aug. 23-Sept. 22 - Juno enters your solar fourth house Monday, when traditional roles become more important to you as time goes on. Must watch temper this week; make a note to try to kill them with kindness instead of with criticism. If you are considering going back to school, Jupiter favors your studies in any field. The Moon-Jupiter conjunction on Monday could be lucky for applying for scholarships. Definite attractional vibes are in the air Wednesday night and Friday; enjoy flirting but this may or may not be the real thing.

LIBRA - Sept. 23-Oct. 22 - Juno enters your solar third house this week; you try to regulate your daily life with a set schedule, and work to get the kids into the “right” schools. Saturn has been at the very end of your sign for weeks; this is a placement that bodes well for “a good match” and even with Saturn there, could be durable and rock steady. No particular rush on this; Saturn doesn't leave your sign till October.

SCORPIO - Oct. 23-Nov. 21 - Juno enters your solar second house Monday; Juno is a rather cold mate here, who treats partners like possessions or trophies. I know you are not like that at heart. Do try to regularize your finances and make sure they are set on solid footing. The Moon-Jupiter conjunction on Monday morning favors meeting the public, and possibly a significant other. Neptune enters your solar fifth house on Feb. 3, raising your artistic sensitivity and deepening expression. Dust off that musical instrument or paint brushes, or play with creative software.

SAGITTARIUS - Nov. 22-Dec. 21 - Juno enters your solar first house Monday, making you increasingly concerned with propriety and appearances. You make a good hostess, tho. The Moon-Jupiter conjunction on Monday morning favors starting a job, or turning a hobby into a sideline. You could receive recognition for the many hours you've donated to your fave charity. Use caution in buying a new home; have it inspected before you sign anything. You may have family heartaches from your own ideals running into reality.

CAPRICORN - Dec. 22-Jan. 19 - Juno enters your solar twelfth house Monday, where you happily become the power behind the throne and avoid the spotlight. Neptune entering your third house will help you write inspirational or artistic material, but your normal communications need scrutiny to make sure it says what you mean to say. Make a habit of having someone read letters before they go out. Wednesday night and Friday could be pleasant interludes of sweet nothings. Plan to spend Saturday tending to home chores.

AQUARIUS - Jan. 20-Feb. 17 - Juno enters your solar eleventh house Monday, an awkward placement for someone who so enjoys being in and organizing group efforts. Make it your 2012 resolution to scrupulously record expenditures and keep to your budget. You will be pulled into impulse spending often in the next few years. Someone may try to sweet-talk you into “investing” in further education, but do not assume there will automatically be a payoff on that.

PISCES - Feb. 18-March 19 - Juno enters your solar tenth house Monday, making you increasingly married to your career. You may actually work for a spouse, and jealously guard his or her professional and personal reputation. Your personal income is entering a period of fluctuations, so plan accordingly. Wednesday night and Friday are best days for dating or looking for new romantic interests; enjoy the attention but do not expect too much from others. Neptune enters your sign on Feb. 3; you may become confused about who you really are and where you stand in the scheme of things, and even try many different looks with dyed hair or makeup.

Your Milky Way Horoscope Jan. 22-28, 2012

2012-01-15T14:27:00.000-08:00

By Milky Way Maid

Happy Chinese New Year! It is the year of the Dragon, a fortunate animal.
The Sun is square Jupiter in the wee hours Sunday (1:35 am). This is when our excesses claim their payment, sometimes as the hangover, or the bellyache, or the empty wallet. Can be a good time to start something that grows into a big operation, like a company. Can be a good time to reach out to the larger audience, reach outside one's comfort zone, actually.

Mars goes retrograde on Monday, Feb. 23 at 23 degrees Virgo. The station is exact at 7:54 pm. Look for some sports events to have odd results; this includes the NFL playoffs currently in progress. Some teams that were expected to make it to the Super Bowl cannot take it for granted that they will get there! Oh, and Mars will be retrograde till April 13.

Mercury enters Aquarius at 1:12 pm Friday. Mercury in Aquarius can be objective to the point of being cruelly cold. But when combined with the power of universal love, you recognize the individuality of others, and can draw them out to share their unique perspective. Often a habitual people-watcher, often a wonderful judge of human nature, often has a knack for predicting the outcome of situations. People with Mercury in Aquarius include John Steinbeck, Jackie Gleason, Chopin, Thomas Edison, FDR, Muhammad Ali, Mia Farrow, Gertrude Stein.

The New Moon is at 2:39 am Jan. 23, on 2 degrees, 42' of Aquarius. The Sun and Moon are square Jupiter in Taurus, sextile Uranus in Aries. The lights are in the third house of a chart set in Washington, DC, with Scorpio rising and ruler Mars in the tenth house. I should note that Congress is set to vote on cloture of a bill called SOPA-PIPA which would have devastating impact on the internet if our Congress votes for cloture. Do we want our government to be able to censor the internet? I don't think so. Call or write your senator and just say we want freedom of speech on the internet.

NOTE that this New Moon is accompanied by Mercury trine Mars (chart ruler Mars is Stationary Retrograde, not good). There will be some heated debate for sure. As it occurs during the morning commute, listen to what the drive-time radio discussion is about. It is sure to be rather energized! Can be a good time to give a speech (or post an article online), in which your passion for your subject shows thru the verbiage. Just be aware that volatile energies can be close to the surface, so mind your debating manners.

LOOKING AHEAD: Juno enters Sag at 9:13 am Sunday, Jan. 29. Juno in Sag is more likely to be married to their careers, especially if it allows them to travel. A Sag-Juno marital partner needs a good deal of freedom, possibly even to travel alone. Wants a mate who brings travel and new interests into his or her life.

PS – I listed a few used astrology books for sale on Amazon Books; Parts One and Two were posted on this column. **Includes a classic Alan Leo book** Look for reviews in my column with a link to the listing. Some prices now reduced. Thanks for your support (and patience). Note that the Intuition book, listed in Part One, has sold.

ALSO – see my popular article on late degrees of all the signs. Link: http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2008/08/15/planets-in-late-degrees-what-do-they-mean/
ALSO – see new article on The Goddess Archetypes: The Pallas Athena Myth at http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/the-goddess-archetypes-the-pallas-athena-myth/ --- also as you read it you may also avail yourself of the excellent QUESTIONNAIRE on the Goddess-Power website at http://goddess-power.com/questions.htm to determine your own goddess profile.
ALSO – check out Astrology.com -- free lessons online

Readers can follow not only their Sun sign horoscope but also the sign of their Ascendant for further clues to how your week will develop. Also note: some aspects are exact on a weekend but may find opportunity for expression on the Friday or Monday nearest the exact aspect. Times given are in Eastern Standard or Eastern Daylight Savings Time depending on the season.

ARIES - March 20-April 19 – The New Moon Monday falls in your solar eleventh house and squares Jupiter in your second house; beware of friends asking for loans. The Moon is in Aries from 1:28 pm Friday thru most of the weekend. A friend may offer to help Friday. Call up a friend after lunch Friday for a good tho brief chat. You may be upset by someone in late afternoon, but try to keep it in perspective. An opportunity to make a little money sits in your lap in early evening. Have a Plan B for Saturday morning if your Plan A is frustrated. A friend tells you a fish story late Saturday; could be very entertaining!

TAURUS - April 20-May 20 – The New Moon Monday falls in your solar tenth house of career, squaring Jupiter in your own sign. You may have setbacks in career, or things promised may not materialize. You are challenged to assert yourself thru proper channels. Best day may be Wednesday morning when the Moon in Pisces sextiles Jupiter in your sign; a good friend makes you feel better. You might return the favor by defusing a volatile situation Thursday. On Saturday you incline towards cocooning and getting lots of chores done.

GEMINI - May 21-June 20 - The New Moon Monday falls in your solar ninth house of law-publishing-the internet-college. It squares Jupiter in your twelfth house; visit only safe web sites, and get good advice before filing legal complaints. You benefit from Saturn trine Neptune in the other air signs; scientific concepts could come easily to you, as do all kinds of ideas. South Node passing thru your sign can sap your energy, so watch for that and make yourself get to bed at a reasonable hour. Venus is squaring the nodes in Gemini-Sag; if this contacts a natal planet, avoid sweets but treat yourself in other ways, like with a bubble bath.

CANCER - June 21-July 22 – The Mars station in your solar third house may coincide with a sibling's health problem; just be available to help out. Monday's New Moon puts the accent on joint accounts; you may resent money that a spouse loans one of his friends, so talk things out. Good news may arrive early Thursday regarding a book project or college application. Early Friday can be frustrating if phone batteries run dead or family members cannot be reached.

LEO - July 23-Aug. 22 – The Mars station in your solar second house may indicate problems with loans or with paying fees or commissions; make sure there are no surprises when you sign any contracts. Monday's New Moon is in your solar seventh house, where career demands put a strain on relationships. Pallas is in your solar seventh house till mid-February; avail yourself of the good sounding board in the person of your mate. The latter part of the week can be more creative, possibly Thursday morn provides some inspiration.

VIRGO - Aug. 23-Sept. 22 – The Mars station in your solar first house can shorten your normally controlled temper; we know you can be pushed too far, just give yourself a time out to cool off. Monday's New Moon puts an accent on health issues. You may have to deal with regulations about the workplace. Your mate may promise you some quality time Thursday. Friday morning could be frustrating, so have backup plans and ready cash. Saturday afternoon is a good time to schedule sewing projects or other crafts.

LIBRA - Sept. 23-Oct. 22 – The Mars station in your twelfth house could indicate a visit to a hospital, altho it could be to visit a loved one. Be safety conscious, and get your beauty sleep. Monday's New Moon in your solar fifth house could indicate finding a larger audience for your creative projects; run things by an editor and don't expect the first one to say yes. Coworkers may gift you with a token of their appreciation on Thursday. You may make a favorable impression if you are in the public eye on Saturday.

SCORPIO - Oct. 23-Nov. 21 – The Mars station in your solar eleventh house of friends and groups could signal a dispute with a friend or with a club you belong to, possibly over loans or dues owed. Monday's New Moon is in your fourth house of home and family. Note that Juno in your sign squares Neptune this week; you want to keep family disputes within the family, but others may have other ideas. Wednesday morning favors family outings, or at least planning one. Your children may actually thank you Thursday.

SAGITTARIUS - Nov. 22-Dec. 21 - The Mars station in your solar tenth house of career may cause a hit to your reputation; refrain from professional feuds or attacks, or gossiping about coworkers. Monday's New Moon is in your third house of relatives and daily life; you may hear from a relative who lives across the country. Thursday morning is unusually affectionate at home; it's nice to get a hug before going off to work. Mercury enters your third house Friday and the phone probably rings off the hook.

CAPRICORN - Dec. 22-Jan. 19 – The Moon is in Capricorn as the week begins, where it stays till Sunday night. Good energy Sunday morning helps you get lots done. Monday's New Moon in your second house kicks off a testing month for your financial resolutions; stick to the plan. And that Mars station in your ninth house of law could be accompanied by a legal complaint or ticket, so be careful. Moon conjunct Venus on Wednesday morning is affectionate; send birthday greetings, etc. Mercury squares Saturn Friday morn; frustrations due to delay and miscommunications, tho you are able to take care of lots of details.

AQUARIUS - Jan. 20-Feb. 17 – The Moon is in Aquarius from 9:53 pm Sunday till Wednesday morning. Monday is the real New Year for Aquarians, with the New Moon; make it a good one. Tuesday is a day of adjustments and verbal accommodation. The Mars station in your solar eighth house may indicate a problem with your mate's debts. Mercury enters your sign on Friday; use it to see the whole picture. You could have a good heart-to-heart chat after lunch. A light bulb may go off in your head on Saturday.

PISCES - Feb. 18-March 19 – The Mars station in your solar seventh house may coincide with your mate's short temper; talk things out. The Moon is in Pisces from 4:11 am Wednesday till midday Friday. Short trips can be profitable Wednesday morning. Midday is a time for creative adjustments. Thursday morn is a time for trading favors with your good friends. Midday Friday has some awkward work-arounds to silly rules. On Saturday you may remember where you put that lost item.

Your Milky Way Horoscope Jan. 15-21, 2012

2012-01-07T13:16:00.000-08:00

By Milky Way Maid

Reminder: Venus is in Pisces now.

SPECIAL NOTE:
Earth-Sky has January 2012 guide to visible stars
Read Earth Sky article for a guide to identifying the lights in the sky for January: Venus, Jupiter are en route to their March conjunction. Link: http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/visible-planets-tonight-mars-jupiter-venus-saturn-mercury

The Sun in Capricorn squares Saturn at 29 degrees Libra at 4:19 pm Thursday. A likely time for mass frustration, although it can result in a more focused drive to achieve a particular goal. Not a good time to start a new venture, but it does present challenges if you like that kind of thing.

Venus in Pisces sextiles Pluto at 8 degrees Capricorn at 3:32 pm Friday. This Venus-Pluto sextile could indicate a good opportunity to obtain loan approval, or increases in cash payouts. On a personal level, you could get a lot better acquainted with a special someone.

The Sun enters humanity-loving Aquarius on January 20 at 11:10 am. People with the Sun in Aquarius express an appreciation of the special gifts of everyone they meet. Aquarians are awed by technology, and have a great faith that mankind will continue to progress.

The Sun in Aquarius squares Uranus at 1 degree Aries at 8:20 pm Saturday. You might see upsets in sports events or in the political scene. While Uranus often signifies falls or accidents, the kinds of falls with the Sun involved probably will not result in broken bones. Uranus specializes in knocking those with pretensions of grandeur flat on their fannies.

Looking ahead: Mars will have its Retrograde Station on Jan. 23 at 23 degrees Virgo. Not a misprint; 23 and 23 is the key number.

PS – I listed a few used astrology books for sale on Amazon Books; Part Two was posted July 1! **Includes a classic Alan Leo book** Look for reviews in my column with a link to the listing. Some prices now reduced. Thanks for your support (and patience). Note that the Intuition book, listed in Part One, has sold.
ALSO – see my popular article on late degrees of all the signs. Link: http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2008/08/15/planets-in-late-degrees-what-do-they-mean/
ALSO – see new article on The Goddess Archetypes: The Pallas Athena Myth at http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/the-goddess-archetypes-the-pallas-athena-myth/ --- also as you read it you may also avail yourself of the excellent QUESTIONNAIRE on the Goddess-Power website at http://goddess-power.com/questions.htm to determine your own goddess profile.
ALSO – check out Astrology.com -- free lessons online

Readers can follow not only their Sun sign horoscope but also the sign of their Ascendant for further clues to how your week will develop. Also note: some aspects are exact on a weekend but may find opportunity for expression on the Friday or Monday nearest the exact aspect. Times given are in Eastern Standard or Eastern Daylight Savings Time depending on the season.

ARIES - March 20-April 19 - Sunday is stressful; you may be called in to work when you had family times planned. Monday morn you may have to cheer up your mate before work. Try not to spend money that afternoon before you have it in hand. Your employer may have to remind everyone Tuesday to turn in expense reports before deadline. You find something funny in the headlines Wednesday pm. Thursday afternoon is stressful as numerous deadlines and rules come to a head. Friday is more fun and everything proceeds much more smoothly.

TAURUS - April 20-May 20 - Monday's Moon-Saturn conjunction warns of poor health, or maybe you'll merely be down in the dumps; pamper yourself in the morning. The afternoon promises to be very emotional (either positive or negative), and you might be better off listening to emotional music. Meet a friend after work for hugs and dessert. Good news is promised midday Tuesday or Wednesday. Thursday might have frustrations regarding insurance issues. A late Friday date exploring an exotic menu proves to be lots of fun. Meet a woman friend Saturday morning.

GEMINI - May 21-June 20 - Children can be stressful Sunday with noisy chatter. A child may need encouragement Monday morning. Meeting a friend right after work Wednesday could be a real gas (lots of laughs). Creative pursuits can get very frustrating Thursday. Early Friday can be stressful as you try to do ten things at once; you almost pull it off. You may get noticed by the boss that afternoon. You most enjoy a late evening just curled up at home Friday. You may have to go in to work Saturday morn, but that evening is full of fun and laughs.

CANCER - June 21-July 22 - You get an early start Sunday morn, possibly with work you brought home. Pay attention to your most ambitious thought Monday morning. You may latch onto a wonderful favor Monday afternoon, so be properly grateful. Check your messages midday Tuesday; hubby may be trying to reach you. Late Wednesday morn is favorable for making presentations of any kind, or posting a notice online. Thursday afternoon may be the most stressful time this week but stay cool; you are the family's rock. Friday, you are happy things worked out for hubby. Spend a late night having friends over for good times.

LEO - July 23-Aug. 22 - The phone may be ringing off the hook early Sunday. A somber mood prevails Monday morning; but you get people revved up again. Monday pm, you're the one going over-the-top emotionally. A creative outlet after work helps you regain perspective. Tuesday is busy with messages. Wednesday's post-lunch slump catches you daydreaming (but don't let the boss catch you). You might have to act as spokesperson Thursday pm. Work proceeds fairly smoothly Friday. Saturday night finds you in good form if you are emceeing or just playing host at home.

VIRGO - Aug. 23-Sept. 22 - You don't find out till Sunday that you have to buy the kids something, or pay for a field trip. Check your wallet before leaving for work that you have enough to cover lunch. You find some good news to cheer about Monday afternoon. You might locate good prospect midday Tuesday. You could luck onto a better insurance deal for the kids Wednesday pm. Before signing any contracts Thursday, make sure you can afford them. Family life goes pretty smoothly Friday. Your Friday night entertainment may have a foreign flavor, and come highly recommended.

LIBRA - Sept. 23-Oct. 22 - The Moon is in Libra as the week begins, till midday Monday. If you stayed up late till the wee hours of Sunday trying to talk things out with a significant other, you probably will talk past each other without being able to listen to the other's concerns. Table the discussion for a better time slot. Monday morning is such an emotional roller-coaster. Avoid emotional eating or spending Monday afternoon. Wednesday pm offers some laughs; try catching a comedy show after work. Friday afternoon may be your best day, especially if you concentrate on arts or spend time with the children. You're perfectly happy spending Sat. am at home.

SCORPIO - Oct. 23-Nov. 21 - The Moon is in Scorpio from 11:33 am Monday till Wednesday afternoon. It's easy to over-react Monday about 1:30 pm, when the Moon opposes Jupiter. However, about 5 pm has a lovely Venus aspect for spending with the kids or just taking a moment to see the beauty around you. Tuesday favors making a speech at the club, or a chatty lunch with friends. Partner with someone Wednesday morn to get twice as much done. Treat your mate to a night out on the town Friday (leave about quarter after 8). Take charge of the kids Saturday morn.

SAGITTARIUS - Nov. 22-Dec. 21 - You probably won't be able to reach friends Monday morning, and if you do, they won't be able to help you anyway. It is too easy to misplace belongings Tuesday. The Moon is in Sag from 2:29 pm Wednesday till Friday afternoon. A funny twist in a legal matter bounces in your favor Wednesday. See if you can help out an old friend Thursday afternoon. Friday afternoon has a couple nice sextiles to help move forward with a project for your club.

CAPRICORN - Dec. 22-Jan. 19 - Early risers on Monday wake up grumpy; (best to let him sleep). A group creative effort gets off to a good start Monday afternoon. Have a friend over for dinner Monday or lunch Tuesday. Thursday afternoon is bound to be frustrating. The Moon is in Capricorn from 5:40 pm Friday till next Sunday night. Late Friday favors a romantic evening out. Saturday morning you awake determined to accomplish something for the day, even if they're only chores. A family member has some good news to announce Saturday at dinner.

AQUARIUS - Jan. 20-Feb. 17 - Happy birthday to all the Aquarians this weekend! Your lawyer, editor, or ombudsman may not have good news for you Monday morn. However, positive news re career is due the same afternoon. Watch what you let slip out at lunch Tuesday. Try not to shoot yourself in the foot Wednesday afternoon. This is the last week Ceres is in your second house of money; she might grant a parting gift. On Saturday night, the Sun in your sign sextiles your ruler, Uranus, promising lotsa laughs at a comedy or a surprise visitor.

PISCES - Feb. 18-March 19 - Chiron entered your sign with the New Year, where it will remain till 2019; be careful of your feet. (Chiron has actually been there since Feb. 2011, but it retrogrades back and forth so much that it began the year at 2 degrees.) Sunday is a creative time; play or dance along to music. You may feel weighed down by details of a will Monday. About 5 pm Monday favors picking up the kids for a special treat. A pleasant chat with a friend beckons midday Tuesday. Wednesday's a good day to plan a long trip, possibly a cruise. Your employer may award a raise or bonus on Wednesday afternoon. A friend is stressed out Thursday; lend a sympathetic ear.

Your Milky Way Horoscope Jan. 8-14, 2012

2012-01-01T19:22:00.000-08:00

By Milky Way Maid

Hope your New Year's celebrations were merry as well as safe.

Mercury, as I noted last week, enters Capricorn on Jan. 8 at 1:34 am. What is Mercury in Capricorn like? A negative expression is the desire to be an authority on a given subject; that sounds admirable until one does not know the answer to something and then declares he doesn't want to be confused by the facts. But giving up a need for authority, and dropping pretense, lets this Mercury concentrate on filling the informational needs of others – and thereby becoming a true resource for all. Must guard against being too pessimistic or dour; Edgar Allan Poe is one example of someone who used this Mercury well. Others with Mercury in Capricorn are Barry Goldwater, Gen. Douglas MacArthur, and Richard Nixon.

Mercury trines Jupiter at zero degrees Taurus Sunday at 1:05 pm. This aspect favors transactions, the study of theoretical subjects like philosophy-law-religion, real estate, positive thinking and optimism.

Mercury squares Uranus at 1 degrees Aries at 6:23 pm Sunday. This aspect can be impulsive and accident-prone, so be sure to signal your intentions when driving. On the one hand you may be jittery, and on the other, your mind is working so fast you may need to jot down ideas before you lose them. Both planets are very mental, and you could latch onto insights that are more profound than you realize. That is why I suggest writing them down because an application for your insight may not occur till later (AFTER you've forgotten all about it).

The Sun trines Mars at 22 degrees Virgo at 11:46 pm Thursday. Favors all physical tasks and athletics. You can dig deep down for still more drive to finish or score or reach the top of that mountain.

Venus joins Neptune at 29 degrees Aquarius at 10:17 am Friday the Thirteenth. One's sense of reality is weak, and one receive a reality check – soon-- to shake these cobwebs from your eyes. One tends to be in love with love, as they say, and that dreamboat you met serves better as an object of inspiration for your creative pursuits, than for a flesh-and-blood life partner. Venus under the influence of Neptune is given to unconditional love, but without commitment – and anyway, Neptune is ill disposed to commit. One may wake up later complaining of being misled, when it turns out that one deceived oneself most of all. HOWEVER, is excellent for writing, composing, painting, acting, or engaging in any artistic field.

Venus enters Pisces on Sat., Jan. 14 at 12:47 am. Venus in Pisces is most considerate and self-sacrificing. Venus in Pisces may be most useful to the artist, musician and singer, and sometimes those who work in the other arts. Artists and performers with Venus here include Barbra Streisand, Vincent Van Gogh, George Harrison, Edgar Allan Poe, Leontyne Price, Sandra Dee, Carol Channing, and Victor Hugo. It may surprise you to know that both George Washington and Richard Nixon had Venus in Pisces, as well as Martin Luther King, Jr., and Adlai Stevenson. This Venus' keyword or ideal is compassion, and with it, unconditional love.

PS – I listed a few used astrology books for sale on Amazon Books; Part Two was posted July 1! **Includes a classic Alan Leo book** Look for reviews in my column with a link to the listing. Some prices now reduced. Thanks for your support (and patience). Note that the Intuition book, listed in Part One, has sold.
ALSO – see my popular article on late degrees of all the signs. Link: http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2008/08/15/planets-in-late-degrees-what-do-they-mean/
ALSO – see new article on The Goddess Archetypes: The Pallas Athena Myth at http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/the-goddess-archetypes-the-pallas-athena-myth/ --- also as you read it you may also avail yourself of the excellent QUESTIONNAIRE on the Goddess-Power website at http://goddess-power.com/questions.htm to determine your own goddess profile.
ALSO – check out Astrology.com -- free lessons online

Readers can follow not only their Sun sign horoscope but also the sign of their Ascendant for further clues to how your week will develop. Also note: some aspects are exact on a weekend but may find opportunity for expression on the Friday or Monday nearest the exact aspect. Times given are in Eastern Standard or Eastern Daylight Savings Time depending on the season.

ARIES - March 20-April 19 – Sunday morning may be stressful, with everyone wanting to do their own thing. On Sunday night, you really must use caution whenever impatience grabs you by the itchy trigger finger. The month is one of trying to balance home and career demands; make quality time. Don't miss an important luncheon or announcement midday Wednesday. Get acquainted with new staffers Thursday afternoon. Saturday is devoted to quality time with your mate. Venus' entry into your solar third house ushers in a month when your guardian angel is working on your behalf.

TAURUS - April 20-May 20 – You decide to take legal or publishing matters into your own hands Sunday. About 1 pm Sunday promises good news re those same matters. All communications are the focus of the month's Full Moon Monday, with creative pursuits or romance favored. Friday's Mercury-Pluto conjunction sharpens your investigative or forensic skills; this includes writing a mystery novel. In fact, Friday may be the best day of the week, for all you do. Venus entering Pisces ushers in a month of running fundraisers or enjoying the company of kindred spirits.

GEMINI - May 21-June 20 – Sunday morning may have a power struggle over money; you might have to open your piggy bank. The Full Moon again accents both your money and shared funds, tho a family business may prove profitable. Thursday and Friday are good days to discuss that venture. Saturday is devoted to quality time with the kids, possibly with a friend and their children. Also on Saturday, Venus enters your career house, ushering in a month of possible bonuses or extra perks.

CANCER - June 21-July 22 – The Moon is in home-loving Cancer as the week begins, till late Monday. Mercury enters your opposite sign on Sunday, indicating that perhaps your mind and your heart speak different things to you. Try to demonstrate to your mate that you have mutual interests, show how if you took a class in X then you can help him with Y. The Full Moon at 2:30 am Monday has the Moon applying to a sextile to Mars; the month promises to be quite busy with errands, deliveries or messages.

LEO - July 23-Aug. 22 – Mull over career matters on Sunday; you may have to change your mind about what or how you are willing to do. The Moon is in Leo from 11:35 pm Monday till early Thursday. Try not to be fixated on getting more money; maybe the chance to stretch yourself is more important. On Wednesday, don't fixate on getting thanks or appreciation; often people feel awkward about saying thanks or are distracted. The Full Moon indicates opportunities this month to broker loans or other deals. Venus' entry into your solar eighth house ushers in a month when you magnetically attract money to you, possibly via a loan or your mate.

VIRGO - Aug. 23-Sept. 22 – About 1 pm Sunday is excellent for building or designing something; attend a class if you intend to apply your skill on a practical level. You may want to share a jog or game with a friend Monday morn before work – but if they ask a favor, you may have to refuse. On Wednesday, you and your children may prefer a quiet retreat. The Moon is in Virgo from 4:44 am Thursday till Saturday morn. Early Thursday (about 6 am) offers another excellent day to advance your interests, possibly in publishing or in the legal arena. The Full Moon indicates that you benefit this month from exercising or playing sports with friends or in a league.

LIBRA - Sept. 23-Oct. 22 – An important discussion needs to be help Sunday about how the family funds are shared or disbursed. The Full Moon Monday indicates that you may benefit this month from having a private exercise area, but be aware of what job-related expenses may really cost you. Thursday and Friday may be quiet days when you hole up and focus on tasks. Thursday night favors a late dinner at home with candles on the table. The Moon enters Libra at 8:28 am Saturday, where it remains thru the weekend. You enjoy the company of a very different, very humorous date.

SCORPIO - Oct. 23-Nov. 21 – On Sunday you determine to find a way to reach a mass audience with your blog or other writings. The Full Moon Monday indicates that a male friend may be able to refer you a lawyer or editor; also, time to pay club dues. There may be some adjustments for the better in the workplace Wednesday, pay attention to ergonomics. Meeting a friend at the local watering hole after work promises a good chat and possibly a referral. Pisces' entrance into your fifth house of romance ushers in a month of flirting and new relationships; everyone is SO NICE to each other.

SAGITTARIUS - Nov. 22-Dec. 21 – The Full Moon Monday indicates a favorable month for anyone in the health care field or who performs a brokerage-type service. You may have to waive a fee in order to get the business, however. Wednesday offers a positive change for you pocketbook if you are willing to budget. Friday offers positive steps at work; have an early discussion about strategy. Energy is quite high Friday night for sports or romance. Venus' entrance into your solar fourth house of family may indicate sprucing up the home with paint or wallpaper. You could play host to a female guest.

CAPRICORN - Dec. 22-Jan. 19 – On Sunday night, you really must use caution whenever impatience grabs you by the itchy trigger finger. The Full Moon Monday indicates a favorable month for proceedings in the legal or publishing arenas; you may have to make public appearances to promote a book, for example. Many positive days this week for Capricorns, altho not without stresses. You like challenges and some easy ones come your way. A chance you'll start a long trip Thursday night so pack carefully. Venus' entry into your solar third house Saturday ushers in a month of socializing and visits, maybe even a love letter.

AQUARIUS - Jan. 20-Feb. 17 – You enjoy an outing with just family Sunday afternoon. The Full Moon Monday indicates a favorable month for changing over to a spouse's health plan, for one thing (weigh your options carefully). A moment in the spotlight beckons on Wednesday. Talking about joint finances helps everything run smoothly from here on. Venus' entry Saturday into your solar second house ushers in a month of finding extra money in your wallet; you may receive late holiday gifts and share them with dear ones.

PISCES - Feb. 18-March 19 – Sunday visits to friends and relatives lets you catch up with those missed over the holidays. The Full Moon Monday indicates a favorable month for children, creative pursuits, and for enjoyment of times spent with one's spouse. A Thursday dinner with a spouse's friends can end in a moving a project forward. Friday you just want to cocoon at home with your new book. Venus' entry Saturday into your solar first house ushers in a month of sprucing yourself up; visit the salon and ditch ratty clothes.

Candidates for the FIRST EVER Astrology Chart

2011-12-26T15:54:00.000-08:00

by Milky Way Maid

My reading has uncovered a couple of candidates for the first-ever, first recorded anyway, astrological chart. How long ago would you guess that we have a chart, with or without interpretation?

Perhaps you guess the source might be Babylon or one of the Mesopotamian civilizations. Not a bad guess. Or perhaps one from ancient Egypt, where we know that the knowledge of astronomy was also rather advanced.

In fact we do have a chart which astrologer Joan Quigley claimed was the earliest known horoscope. It was cast in 2767 BC, and the astrologer was supposedly the great Imhotep himself. Imhotep has won lasting fame as the architect of the great pyramid of Saqqara. (SOURCE: Astrology for Adults, Joan Quigley, 1969, in which she cites an article by Cyril Fagan included in the Jan. 1954 issue of American Astrology.)

Annoyingly, no details are included in this mention, not even of what the subject of the chart was. Perhaps it was a horary to answer the question, “Where did I put my copy of This Old Pyramid?”

But luckily enough, inside the book “The Origin of the Zodiac” is an illustration titled, “The Original 'Horoscope of Eternity' 2767 BC.” No attribution, no story about the astrologer. But hey, how many charts do you think survived from 2767 BC?

This illustration still doesn't tell us what Imhotep wanted to know from this chart. But maybe a description of the image will give us some clues at least.

The image shows a map of the sky, with the constellations fanned out across the middle. The original is translated into English. From left to right appear Leo, Cancer, Gemini and Taurus. Major stars are indicated around the sky: Regulus, Praeseppe, Procyon, Sirius, Aldebaran, Rigel, Betelgeuse, Castor, El Nath, and the Pleiades. Along the right-hand edge are marked the latitudes, from 20 degrees north at the top and marked at 10 degree intervals down to 30 degrees south at the bottom right. The horizon is clearly marked along with the “Equator of 2767 BC”; the intersection is marked “Vernal Equinox, 2767 BC.”

Puzzlingly, two horizons are indicated; one is for 2767 BC (28 degrees Cancer), and the other is for 1300 BC (27 degrees Cancer). It seems extremely unlikely that anyone would draw up a chart for a present year (2767 BC) with another year about 1400 years in the future --- yet a comment on page 207 of the “Origin” book would seem to explain how that is. “The Egyptians had a traditional celestial diagram which they copied from century to century, and although it was more traditional than contemporary it did represent a particular moment from which time was counted.” The Egyptians were interested in knowing when the first day of the Wandering Calendar returned to its ideal position in the Sothic Calendar. In other words, the return of the Vernal Equinox to its IDEAL position marked the end or start of another cycle.

In other words, Egyptians were more interested in astrology or astronomy as indicators of omens for the prosperity of the people in general, and as indicators of cycles. They were not, surprisingly enough, interested in making observations on which to base predictions. The Babylonians aka Chaldeans were the opposite; they could not have imagined making a chart and NOT making some predictions about it.

The same “Origins” book states that the earliest personal horoscope was cast in 410 BC, with no details offered whatever. However I managed to dig up further details: it was a birth chart set for April 29, 410 BC in Babylon (HoroscopesWithin.com). A translation of the cuneiform horoscope says: “Nisannu, night of the 14th(?), ... son of Shumu-usur, Shumu-iddina, descendant [---], was born. At that time the moon was below the Pincer of the Scorpion, Jupiter in Pisces, Venus in Taurus, Saturn in Cancer, Mars in Gemini. Mercury, which had set was not vis[ible]. [-] (Things?) will be propitious for you.” (Rochberg 1998: 56)

Other “oldest” documents include a record dated around 668-626 BC of astronomical observations with calculations of solar and lunar eclipses (and predictions for same). This is the Cerberus Slab of Hatra dated to the reign of Ashurbanipal, King of Assyria. It shows the seven known planets with highly accurate calculations of planetary conjunctions and oppositions.

Older astrological records date to around 1645 BC in Babylon (Astrology.com). This probably refers to the Venus tables of Ammiza-duga, discovered in 1850 in Ninevah. This is a cuneiform tablet of observations of the rising and setting Venus that covered a span of 21 years – actually fragments of several tablets that science has had to reconstruct. You can browse a PDF about this discovery and how they dated the tablets on Caeno.org. Why only those 21 were recorded furnishes us with another mystery to solve.

The Chinese may have drawn up charts around 7500 years ago, but they can definitely point to a owning the longest lunar calendar in existence, dating back to 2637 BC. The first named Chinese astrologer was Sima Qian, who wrote a book titled, “Records of the Grand Historian” (OnlineChineseAstrology.com) about the second century BC. To quote, “His history included detailed information on various methods of fortune telling and related astronomy topics to include a catalog of star names.” http://www.onlinechineseastrology.com/doc/Chinese-Astrology-101.pdf In ancient China, only emperors and other members of the royal family had access to personal horoscopes. The lives of ordinary people were not important enough to analyze with a birth chart.

Ancient Indians created records that show a highly developed knowledge of astrology as far back as 6500 BC, actual manuscripts can be dated only to 3700 BC. (The older ones are copies of originals.) These records show continuous observations from 6500 BC. We even have what is possibly the name of the oldest known astrologer: Pita Maha Siddhanta, who lived about 3000 BC. Pita was the author of books on Vedic astrology (SurfIndia.com).

But there are other candidates, too. We may not recognize them as charts, per se, but the ancient ones placed stones and other markers as a kind of observatory and calendar. This includes the most famous of stone placements at Stonehenge. There are even older stone structures. Consider the one called Adam's Calendar in southern Africa, which dates to possibly 75 THOUSAND years ago. That date is selected because that is when three now-recumbent stones would have aligned with the Orion constellation --- an alignment that Andrew Collins disputes (AndrewCollins.com).

Adam's Calendar, in South Africa, has engendered a great deal of publicity and discussion. The original walls are over a yard wide in many places, and have eroded to knee-high or even to the ground. It is interesting that they lie amid nearly 2,000 ancient gold mines.
The famous El Caracol observatory in Chichen Itza, Mexico (Yucatan region) dates to about 500 AD.

You May Also Wish To Read or Watch:
You may wish to watch a clip about Adam's Calendar on YouTube at www.youtube.com/watch?v=NH1wgwe6udo

Several pictures of different ruins at the Adam's Calendar sites are offered at http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/sumer_anunnaki/esp_sumer_annunaki35.htm

Pictures and more theory are posted at http://www.andrewcollins.com/page/articles/txsa_4_adams.htm

A two-hour documentary about Adam's Calendar is embedded on this web page: http://projectcamelotproductions.com/interviews/adams_calendar_documentary/adamscalendardocumentary.html

“Echoes of the Ancient Skies” by E.C. Krupp (Dover Publications) has lots of information about ancient astronomy including El Caracol and other sites in Mexico, China, Chaldea, Egypt, Cahokia, Scotland, Ireland, Britain and more.

“Astrology in the Middle Ages” by Theodore Otto Wedel (Dover reprint) talks about medieval English, French and Arabian astrology.

“The Origin of the Zodiac” by Rupert Gleadow (Dover reprint) is too small a book for all the territory that the author tries to cover: China, Persia and Babylon, Egypt, Plato and the Greeks, Mexico, Tibet, India, and Medieval astrology.

Your Milky Way Horoscope Jan. 1-7, 2012

2011-12-23T14:33:00.000-08:00

By Milky Way Maid

Sunday, New Year's Day, looks rather contentious – not a relaxing day at all. Start off with a Mercury square Mars at 20 degrees Virgo at 1:06 am for those party-goers from NY's Eve; the Moon is square the Sun shortly after that. Words will excite you, for good or ill. Very prone to heated argument, but then there is some chance that a speech or job offer will excite you tremendously. So if you are going to propose marriage, be rather certain that the other party will accept, then rest assured she will be deliriously happy about your proposal.

However, at 10:03 am on NY's Day, the Moon sextiles agreeable Venus at 13 degrees Aquarius, when things calm down into a pleasant brunch, hugs, house-sitting or baby-sitting, exchanging favors of any kind. A good time to ask a favor or do a favor.

Mercury in Sag sextiles Neptune at 28 degrees Aquarius 10:15 am Saturday. Nice for saying those sweet nothings to your beloved, but not great for signing contracts or stuff like that. People may have the best of intentions but not be able to fulfill promises for whatever reason, so that is why you prefer not to do personal business at this hour. On the other hand, it supports constructive dreaming-- what would you ideally like to do, what kind of atmosphere would you like to have at your place of employment. Dream up a castle in the air, then figure out how to put a foundation under it. You might also use a chant, affirmation, or other little mental trick to help you achieve your goals or overcome personal mental blocks.

Mercury enters businesslike Capricorn at 1:34 am Sunday, Dec. 8 ( or at 10:34 pm Saturday, Pacific Time). Yes, I am jumping the gun, because there are so few outer planets aspects this week. What is Mercury in Capricorn like? A negative expression is the desire to be an authority on a given subject; that sounds admirable until one does not know the answer to something and then declares he doesn't want to be confused by the facts. But giving up a need for authority, and dropping pretense, lets this Mercury concentrate on filling the informational needs of others – and thereby becoming a true resource for all. Must guard against being too pessimistic or dour; Edgar Allan Poe is one example of someone who used this Mercury well. Others with Mercury in Capricorn are Barry Goldwater, Gen. Douglas MacArthur, and Richard Nixon.

PS – I listed a few used astrology books for sale on Amazon Books; Part Two was posted July 1! **Includes a classic Alan Leo book** Look for reviews in my column with a link to the listing. Some prices now reduced. Thanks for your support (and patience). Note that the Intuition book, listed in Part One, has sold.

ALSO – see my popular article on late degrees of all the signs. Link: http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2008/08/15/planets-in-late-degrees-what-do-they-mean/
ALSO – see new article on The Goddess Archetypes: The Pallas Athena Myth at http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/the-goddess-archetypes-the-pallas-athena-myth/ --- also as you read it you may also avail yourself of the excellent QUESTIONNAIRE on the Goddess-Power website at http://goddess-power.com/questions.htm to determine your own goddess profile.
ALSO – check out Astrology.com -- free lessons online

Readers can follow not only their Sun sign horoscope but also the sign of their Ascendant for further clues to how your week will develop. Also note: some aspects are exact on a weekend but may find opportunity for expression on the Friday or Monday nearest the exact aspect. Times given are in Eastern Standard or Eastern Daylight Savings Time depending on the season.

ARIES - March 20-April 19 – The Moon is in self-starting Aries as the New Year and the week begins, till Monday afternoon. Avoid going to bed mad on New Year's Eve; don't blow things out of proportion. You are inclined to accept a friend's invite (to watch the games together?) or request for a favor Sunday morning. Monday afternoon is a downer, though temporary; you are not seeing things clearly. Catch these other opportunities: Thursday about 7 am, nice Uranus aspect lets you laugh. Late Friday's Moon-Venus trine offers a short trip with a friend, possibly for sporting purposes. You can get a lot of work done Saturday afternoon.

TAURUS - April 20-May 20 – The Moon is in Taurus from 5:16 pm Monday till Thursday morn. Most likely to overdo at supper on Monday; remember those worthy resolutions! Best day of the week may be Tuesday, both am and pm. You take the ahem, bull by the horns and talk with people in the know about what your status and prospects are. Also, others may have you in mind for other projects and may ask you if you are available. You may awake Wednesday feeling unappreciated, but that just isn't so. Your energy is very good midday, but a caution flag for Wednesday night. Early pm on Saturday offers prime prospects for improving your finances thru work for a non-profit.

GEMINI - May 21-June 20 – You are inclined to spend New Year's Day with dear friends, possibly for brunch. Moon is in Gemini from 5:44 am Thursday till Saturday afternoon. A friend makes you laugh Thursday morning. That night offers time to analyze yourself and what mental blocks you need to move. Friday night may be the best time of the week, offering mental stimulation, possibly with a free class or webinar online. You might benefit from a heart-to-heart talk about 2 pm Saturday, altho a bit of a guilt trip might come with it.

CANCER - June 21-July 22 – New Year's Day Or eve, rather) may be way too stressful for you; better to stay in and amuse yourself. You may discover a job opening Sunday morning. A good friend invites you to dinner Monday pm. Midday Wednesday favors introducing a friend to a relative, or vice versa. The Moon is in Cancer from 4:05 pm Saturday till late next Monday. Saturday pm favors having friends over for dinner to share your bountiful table. Just remember to do as much as possible ahead of time, also some invitees may have to cancel so try not to get in a tizzy over it.

LEO - July 23-Aug. 22 – On New Year's, you learn something from your spouse's class that interests you. Late Sunday, you may find the right college for one of your children. Career matters progress splendidly Monday afternoon. A blast from the past brightens your Thursday morning. A late Friday date with your spouse at your club might be memorable. Artistic expression is favored Saturday morning; you might run your latest project by a friend for their reactions.

VIRGO - Aug. 23-Sept. 22 – Most likely to end your New Year's eve partying with argument rather than glee; give up the need to be right about some piffling detail or other. Peace in the home is more important, isn't it? Tuesday may be best day of the week, when you hobnob with the nabobs. Creative pursuits are also favored that day. Next best day of the week may be Friday, especially if you work in the health field. You may get a bonus or other reward on Friday or Saturday.

LIBRA - Sept. 23-Oct. 22 – A New Year's Day brunch with the kids will be a pleasant delight. You probably won't be feeling warm n fuzzy Monday afternoon. By Thursday, at least, you probably decide that you've had enough of the dour mood and decide to chase it away. “Lark” types can get a lot done early Saturday; your powers of analysis are keen. You may have a heart-to-heart talk with someone that afternoon, altho he/she may not like everything you say. Try to be as diplomatic as your vast skills can make it.

SCORPIO - Oct. 23-Nov. 21 – You may enjoy a healthy brunch New Year's Day in spite of yourself; let moderation be your watchword for 2012. Your spouse may be extra lucky Monday pm; be happy for him/her. On Tuesday you could be in the public eye with some heavy hitters. Midday Wednesday favors luncheon at the club or actively networking. Chatting about joint finances is favored for Friday night. You might move to the larger question of providing for your family by Saturday.

SAGITTARIUS - Nov. 22-Dec. 21 – You will enjoy having the kids over Sunday for brunch and general catching-up-with. Consider your options for a healthy buffet to start the year off right. Work or health matters get a boost under Monday's Moon-Jupiter conjunction – and finances could feel the effect as early as the following day. Late Friday looks stressful, not favoring a pleasant night out. You may seriously consider signing a contract Saturday, perhaps for office supplies or office support, but think it over for a day or two first. Knowing you, though, you will leap before you look.

CAPRICORN - Dec. 22-Jan. 19 – You may celebrate New Year's Day with a family brunch where you, like a Chinese elder, hand out red envelopes of cash gifts. Anyway, some tradition is likely to be observed that day. Your heart is really at home Monday, which may distract you from work. Take extra care in regards to figures on checks and ledgers. Tuesday may be your best day when you can act as mentor to fine young people. Midday Wednesday favors any legal disputes, or contests. Mercury moves into your sign by next week.

AQUARIUS - Jan. 20-Feb. 17 – Call up friends on New Year's day to extend best wishes or trade favors. Invite people over for a NY brunch. Bet not to bet against friends Sunday, tho, regarding the outcome of the ball games. Tuesday you are inclined to just cocoon with family, possibly at a vacation home. You may be more productive with Moon in Gemini (Thur-Sat) although try to keep emotional decision-making at bay. You are most prone to that on Saturday.

PISCES - Feb. 18-March 19 – Your thoughts on New Year's Day tend toward your financial prospects rather than personal goals, and you are feeling stressed and frustrated. Relatives may hold a key to opening some doors, and Tuesday may be a good day to discuss things with them. Be prepared to give as much as you take. Thursday is a day of making adjustments, possibly tapping your creative talents in making things for friends. A club luncheon on Friday may be moved so check your messages. Saturday pm you just want to cocoon with family.

A Look at the Occupy Wall Street Movement and Chart

2011-12-13T15:36:00.000-08:00

by Milky Way Maid

(Dave Roell's analysis of the OWS protest, with chart, is in the Dec. 6 issue of his newsletter at http://www.astroamerica.com/astroamericanewsletter.pdf - (it will have the new issue, click on Archives and select Dec. 6) (Also Dave wrote a bit of a follwup in the Dec. 13 issue)

Perhaps I am overdue in writing about a chart for the beginning of the Occupy Wall Street movement. Actually the website came before the protest in the New York financial district, but the registration of that website is variously given as June 9 or July 14 (see Wikipedia). I think that the July 14 date would be rather apropos since that is also Bastille Day, a historical event in which the oppressed 99-percent masses rose up to crush the aristocratic 1 percent.

So I have drawn up a chart for the beginning of the actual protest at Bowling Green Park in the financial district. The chart is located in Manhattan, noon (or actually 12:01 pm) of Sept. 17, 2011. The ascendant is 27 degrees Scorpio and the Midheaven at 11 degrees Virgo.

But the first thing that leaps out at the astrologer is the T-square of Pluto, Uranus and Venus. Now Dave cautions one to look at the chart basics first before jumping at the angles so OK, let us back off a bit and come to it again later.

The ascendant as we said is 27 degrees Scorpio. Rulers Mars at 29 Cancer in the eighth house of other people's money, and Pluto at almost five degrees Capricorn in the other money house, the second. Either would validate the chart because they confirm the topic of the protest which is directly related to money and how it handled.

THE T-SQUARE: It is pretty tight with Pluto at almost 5 degrees Capricorn (4 degrees 53') in the sign of Big Business and in the house of money; Venus (representing both values and money) is at 3 degrees 11', strong in her home of Libra, elevated in the tenth house; and Uranus the rebel at 2 degrees, 55' retrograde in Aries in the fourth house. Pluto signifies the powers that be, the oligarchy that seems to pull the strings behind too much of our lives and against which the protests are focused.

The basic complaint is that the guilty parties behind the mortgage credit fraud and collapse have still not been brought to justice.

So we see from this T-square that the degrees from 3 to 5 are highly charged. Transits or progressions to these degrees mark events related to the occupation or clearing of the park. Mars (police) at almost 3 degrees Virgo trines Jupiter (law) at almost 3 degrees Taurus on Nov. 16, the day before the rather infamous overnight forced evacuation of the park.

Looking ahead to coming transits to the sensitive degree, we have: the Sun at 3 degrees Sag on Shop Local day- Nov. 26, and at 3 Capricorn on Christmas; Mercury making a direct station on Dec. 13 in first house Sag; Venus at 3 Sag on Nov. 5, at 3 Capricorn on Nov. 29, and at 3 Aquarius on Dec. 23-24; Vesta at 3 Aquarius on Dec. 28-29. Jupiter will eventually reach 3 Taurus again during the first full week of February. Interestingly, Mars will retrograde back through Virgo and make a direct station at 3 degrees Virgo (ninth house) about April 14, 2012. So these will all be key dates in the ongoing movement especially on the stations of Dec. 13, 2011 and April 14, 2012. I do not think this movement is collapsing just because of the forced evacuations in New York and elsewhere, not at all.

Also it is auspicious that the lights are closely trine to each other, the sun at 24 degrees Virgo in the tenth house, trine the Moon, exalted in Taurus at 22 degrees in the sixth house of workers. Jupiter is also in Taurus (at 9 degrees) and in the sixth house, trine the Midheaven and Mercury. The leadership of the movement (Sun in the tenth), therefore, finds a receptive audience (Moon, the public, the audience) among the working classes (sixth house).

A grand trine is formed if you include Pallas Athena at 27 degrees Capricorn in the second house. Earth signs build. What are they building here? Possibly a new way of looking at money, possibly a new way of using money as a tool of protest (other than simply donating to a cause). Moving one's money to small, locally owned and operated banks and credit unions was one of the protest tactics in December. A few words about Pallas in the second house: Pallas here is a strong saver, enjoys making money as long as it does not violate their strong code of personal ethics – and they would NEVER do anything they consider wrong just to make some money. They expect anyone who handles their money to not only be honest, but to keep their best interests at heart. (This is called fiduciary interest.) Sucking people in to buy your bundled shaky loans is not something they accept from any financial officer.

Let me make a note here of the other asteroids and Part of Fortune: Part of Fortune is at 24 degrees Cancer, near Mars at 29 degrees and both in the eighth house. Chiron is at almost 2 degrees of Pisces now, in the third house of communications. Ceres is at 23 degrees Pisces, in the fourth house. Juno is at almost 17 degrees Libra, almost exactly conjunct Saturn in the eleventh house of friends. Vesta is at 6 degrees Aquarius in the third house.

The third house being occupied by two asteroids, Chiron and Vesta, makes me wonder about a connection to the so-called “people's library” of 3,000 books that was collected and available to lend to the protesters. This collection was seized and trashed when the park was cleared of protesters in the November crackdown. Some of the books were rather valuable and some were signed by the authors, so it was a loss for the world of book-lovers everywhere.

Anyway,
Dave's comments (from his Facebook page) on chart:

Chart ruler Mars in the 8th house, this is a protest (Mars) against Wall Street (other people's money = 8th house). This establishes the chart as valid. Ascendant at 27 Scorpio, Mars at 29 Cancer - the ends of the signs - say the protesters are at the end of their rope.
(and from a later comment)
So far as the government is concerned (10th house), the Occupy crowd has, to date, not one single friend or ally. So far as the media is concerned (3rd house) the proper media is universally hostile, as Aquarius is ruled by Saturn, which is in the sign of Venus, which is Wall Street itself. The "New Age" ruler of Aquarius
is Uranus. We find it exactly opposed to Wall Street and everything it stands for: Uranus dead opposite Venus. In the 5th house, Uranus is typically creative and in Aries, energetic (the internet is
solidly behind Occupy), but that's not a lot to pin your hopes on. Oh my Gawd, they're sexual degenerates!!! Well, yes. Uranus in Aries in 5 can be kinky, especially when contrasted with Venus in suave Libra just opposite. All of this is straightforward chart analysis. I wish I could find a ray of hope in this.

Dave"

Kinky sex?? We're accused of being degenerates now?? Wow. The only thing kinky about us is our attitude about Money (Venus) which we believe ought to serve society, not be its master. That's what is revolutionary (Uranus), sir. (Dave is often curmudgeonly, but here he sounds like he needs therapy or something. Maybe some nice Christmas eggnog.)

As for planets being “at the end of their rope” or “out of steam,” as Dave puts it, because they are in late degrees, I beg to differ. Let me link you to my article that states that late degrees can be very powerful in a natal chart, at least. Example: Writers who have planets in late degrees of Gemini. http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2008/08/15/planets-in-late-degrees-what-do-they-mean/
And let me quote from this article:
“If you see a Sun, Midheaven, Part of Fortune, or chart ruler in those degrees, then the career should have a measure of fame. But any planet in a late degree is going to throw more weight than you might otherwise expect from the placement or aspects.”

The OWS chart has Mars in late degrees of Cancer; late degrees of Cancer have been linked to those who inherit a family business, those who become real-estate moguls, and so forth. So this Mars addresses the debt and interest rates (Mars) related to mortgages, and to loans in general, possibly also credit card debt. There is also the matter of where these protesters are to live, also reflected in the fact that one leg of the T-square is Uranus in the fourth house. The single item that most riles Occupiers' opponents is that they do not stay in their own homes (if they have one) but camp out on the (privatized) public space.

I am going to go out on a limb and say that eventually some campground or other public space (football or soccer field? Abandoned apartment building?) will be co-opted by the Occupiers, from where they can continue to badger public officials.

This Mars is angry, sure, but because it is in a late degree, he is not rash. He does not go off half-cocked, turning over the money-changers' tables nor does he open fire with an Uzi. He is controlled, deliberate, and planned. In the sign of the Moon, exalted in Taurus, which is in the twelfth house of the opposition (Wall Street and Big Banking), he gets the public on his side.

It almost does not matter if the opposition is not going to kneel down in defeat. The goal was primarily to get this subject onto the news pages, which it did. It got the public on its side. It woke up the millions who have been wandering around in a daze because they are in so much debt they cannot dig themselves out.

Since this Mars is in the ninth house (ruling colleges), there is a related protest regarding the interest rates on student-loan debts. A recent article by one graduate said that she had been paying since 2006 on a student loan and had only made a dent of a whopping $1200 in the total.

The other late-degree planet is Neptune in Aquarius. Late Aquarius sometimes gives rise to “mental detectives” and perhaps some members of the movement will be able to figure out who the guilty parties are in the financial scandals that have gone unpunished. Late Aquarius is a good researcher, especially with online sources. Neptune holds up ideals in front of our eyes --, impossible ideals perhaps -- but they give us something to aim at.

The Ascendant is late Scorpio, a highly spiritual sign, and a sign that likes to see true justice done. And when you get a Scorpio mad, oh boy, ol' Scorp can stay made for years. So just because the militarized police have done the bidding of the monied class and broken up the camps, does not mean that the Occupy movement is kaput. In fact, the movement seems to have taken on nine lives in interrelated issues.

The latest phase is OWS has morphed into a protest against manipulating food, and food supplies, for monetary gain. See this article with pictures of “Occupy Food brings American Farmers & Food Lovers to OccupyWallStreet” at http://pameladrew.newsvine.com/_news/2011/12/05/9233400-occupyfood-brings-american-farmers-food-lovers-to-occupywallstreet?threadId=3288882&commentId=60489160#c60489160

On December 7, I received an email from Michael Moore with an article called The Winter of our Occupation. (this is posted online at his website http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/mike-friends-blog/winter-our-occupation )

In this article, Michael calls on occupiers to continue the movement indoors with a five-pronged attack on corporate complacency. Re-occupy houses that you have been foreclosed on, occupy the for-profit colleges' student loan offices and regents meetings, move your money to a local credit union, reorganize unions, and also occupy for-profit health insurance companies like Cigna, Humana, etc.

Dave wrote on his Facebook page, “A protest is not a success when it is smashed by the police. A protest is a success when it CHANGES THINGS." Well, I am not accepting your definition of success.

The Occupy movement has succeeded in getting the issue of justice for financial crimes onto the news pages and blogs, it has succeeded in getting people to move their accounts out of Big Banking into local institutions, it has succeeded in getting the Republicans' top strategist to alter their buzzwords (capitalism is now a dirty word, folks). "They're having an impact on what the American people think of capitalism," said Frank Luntz, in a article you can read on Yahoo: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/republicans-being-taught-talk-occupy-wall-street-133707949.html

Hard figures are hard to come by when measuring success of the Great Money Migration, however Yes Magazine reported on Nov. 7 that “over the past month credit unions have added 650,000 new members (as opposed to 80,000 in a regular month), resulting in more than $4.5 billion in new deposits.” Like they say, four billion here, four billion there, pretty soon you're talking about real money. And this was BEFORE the actual Move Your Money day action.

So I think that Occupy is a success on several fronts and is not done yet. It seems that Occupy has only begun to fight.

SOURCE:
Date and time as given on the official Orientation Guide at http://occupywallst.org/media/OccupyWallSt-Orientation-Guide.pdf

Also, Wikipedia states that the date the website was registered was variously given as June 9 and July 14. July 14 would be cute because that is Bastille Day.

Your Milky Way Horoscope Dec. 25-31, 2011. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2011-12-09T19:15:00.000-08:00

By Milky Way Maid

Yay! Old man Jupiter goes direct at 5:08 pm Sunday, Christmas Day, at zero degrees, 22' of Taurus. Taureans who may have floundered a bit earlier this year when trying to get some luck going, should find things finally begin to come together. The only other exact aspect that day is the Moon trine Mars at 4:11 pm. (Christmas Eve had a Sun-Moon-Pluto conjunction, an aspect that supports self-empowerment initiatives.)

The Sun is conjunct Pluto at 7 degrees Capricorn at 2:43 am Thursday. A bit early even for the old goat Cappy, but if you can get up a bit early to say some affirmations it should really help you accomplish them. You may face some trying situations, especially if this is on your birthday, but you will find out more about yourself and your strengths than you ever imagined.

Mercury in Sag squares Mars at 19 degrees Virgo at 1:06 am Sunday, Jan. 1. Make a resolution to bite your tongue starting New Year's Eve, hmm? Mercury-Mars squares are OK for debate and possibly vocal performance (acting, singing) but we generally are looking for fun and nice memories on New Year's Eve, so walk away from arguments that could become blistering very quickly. Some of us might work off that Mars energy with cleaning or baking or gym work.

PS – I listed a few used astrology books for sale on Amazon Books; Part Two was posted July 1! **Includes a classic Alan Leo book** Look for reviews in my column with a link to the listing. Some prices now reduced. Thanks for your support (and patience). Note that the Intuition book, listed in Part One, has sold.
ALSO – see my popular article on late degrees of all the signs. Link: http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2008/08/15/planets-in-late-degrees-what-do-they-mean/
ALSO – see new article on The Goddess Archetypes: The Pallas Athena Myth at http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/the-goddess-archetypes-the-pallas-athena-myth/ --- also as you read it you may also avail yourself of the excellent QUESTIONNAIRE on the Goddess-Power website at http://goddess-power.com/questions.htm to determine your own goddess profile.
ALSO – check out Astrology.com -- free lessons online

Readers can follow not only their Sun sign horoscope but also the sign of their Ascendant for further clues to how your week will develop. Also note: some aspects are exact on a weekend but may find opportunity for expression on the Friday or Monday nearest the exact aspect. Times given are in Eastern Standard or Eastern Daylight Savings Time depending on the season.

ARIES - March 20-April 19 – The Moon is in daring Aries as the New Year begins, from 4:48 am Sat., Dec. 31 thru the weekend. You may feel really finicky or jumpy on Saturday, maybe you cannot wait for the new year to get here. Unfounded notions that your mate does not love you or appreciate you must be drummed out of your head right now. Tell loved ones that YOU love THEM and make sure to mean it. Keep in mind that Jupiter is going direct in your second house of finances/resources so determine your goals for 2012 and proceed accordingly.

TAURUS - April 20-May 20 – Lucky you, Jove finally goes direct in your sign. You have until about mid-June 2012 to make the most of it. Jupiter transits tend to leave and take all the good with them, so determine how to get some lasting value out of Jove before he goes. BTW you also have a grand trine on Christmas Day, with Jove and your natal planets in Taurus, Moon in Cappy, and Mars in Virgo. Earth trines tend to build something; try to build up some good will to draw upon in 2012 and thereafter. You will probably prefer to cocoon at home on New Year's Eve.

GEMINI - May 21-June 20 – Tuesday opens with a Moon-Venus conjunction in your airy ninth house; a sales webinar could go well, or you may receive an internet-related gift. Career matters looks favorable for Thursday morning. Friday can be stressful with lots of us saying awful things we don't mean; you may be caught in the crossfire (lie low). New Year's eve could be marred by friends who are under pressure, so may I suggest a night at home or with those near and dear?

CANCER - June 21-July 22 – Sunday may be the best day of the week for you; hubby is energetic and keeps the kids busy for you. (If you have an empty nest, so much the better, you can entertain each other.) Cardinal signs like yours may be under a lot of pressure this New Year's eve so maybe you are not good company that night; consider staying home. Keep in mind that Jupiter is going direct in your eleventh house of clubs and friends. Benefits may flow from membership in organizations or from volunteering.

LEO - July 23-Aug. 22 – Your spouse is particularly affectionate Mon-Tues. Tuesday afternoon favors creative writing, or chatting with your children. Finances are stressed Friday. Communications houses are very active Saturday; maybe you send New Year greetings via email or chat this year. Keep in mind that Jupiter is going direct in your tenth house of career; promotions or perks may come in the first half of 2012 but do not take them for granted.

VIRGO - Aug. 23-Sept. 22 - Keep in mind that Jupiter is going direct Sunday in your ninth house of the internet, publishing, college and religion. Doors may open that you thought were closed, so enjoy the brief spotlight as it comes. Sunday is especially pleasant if spent with children, or on artistic pursuits. The internet helps you find another job Monday; submit your resume overnight. Wednesday night is most favorable for having friends over. The only thing marring the week is that children may try to dictate how the holidays are observed; drive a hard bargain.

LIBRA - Sept. 23-Oct. 22 - Keep in mind that Jupiter is going direct Sunday in your eighth house of pooled resources; you may benefit in 2012 from a legacy or from an insurance settlement. Monday night favors time spent with children or on artistic pursuits. Expected news arrives Tuesday afternoon. Thursday you mull over putting exercise equipment in a home gym. Cardinal signs like yours may be under a lot of pressure this New Year's eve so maybe you are not good company that night; consider staying home.

SCORPIO - Oct. 23-Nov. 21 - Keep in mind that Jupiter is going direct Sunday in your seventh house of partners. Teaming up, at least for the first half of 2012, can be very rewarding. An open house for friends and neighbors goes well Sunday. You may be perplexed by family stresses Monday; you all had such a nice holiday. You may spend Friday watching a friend perform in a holiday event (hope you got free tickets). You may have to work New Year's eve, just drive carefully when going home.

SAGITTARIUS - Nov. 22-Dec. 21 - Keep in mind that Jupiter is going direct Sunday in your sixth house of health and work; you may be able to make a career of your avocation, and your health issues may abate for the time being. Tuesday is favorable for any kind of speaking engagement, as you should meet receptive audiences. This is a stressful, or should we say, action-packed week for you. Friday and Saturday are particularly busy.

CAPRICORN - Dec. 22-Jan. 19 – The Moon is in tradition-minded Capricorn from Christmas Day till midday Monday. You can go beyond your normal physical limitations with some help from Mars, probably keeping the kids entertained. Monday may present a letdown for many of us, without the anticipation of the holiday. Try to start making your plans for New Year's. You could spend Wednesday night curled up with a thrilling mystery novel. Keep in mind that Jupiter is going direct in your fifth house of children and artistic expression; you may desire to expand your family, and ideas for art projects can reach a new level.

AQUARIUS - Jan. 20-Feb. 17 – The Moon is in Aquarius from 12:14 pm Monday till Wednesday evening. Aquarians may blow things out of proportion midday Monday; stop, think, get your perspective back. Possibly spending time with a humorous relative balances your mood. Affection reigns Monday night. Meaningful chats, with offers to help, arrive Tuesday afternoon. You see clearly how to build that better world Wednesday afternoon. Keep in mind that Jupiter is going direct in your fourth house of home and family; you may desire to expand your house or your family, and may host international visitors.

PISCES - Feb. 18-March 19 – The Moon is in Pisces from 6:45 pm Wednesday till Saturday morning. Wednesday favors spending dinner with a relative, a boon companion. Thursday favors brunch with a friend, who may spend the time raving about the new mystery he's reading. You may wake up angry Friday; best to work it off in the gym. With Saturn breathing down your neck, you might resolve to be a more responsible person in 2012. Keep in mind that Jupiter is going direct in your third house of the internet and writing; write that novel you have been putting off.

Your Milky Way Horoscope Dec. 18-24, 2011

2011-12-04T20:35:00.000-08:00

By Milky Way Maid

Venus in Capricorn squares Saturn at 27 degrees Libra at 9:18 am Sunday. Venus-Saturn squares usually are either very good or very bad for love. One might formalize (Saturn) an engagement with an announcements (banns) or at least with a serious proposal. One might break off/end a romantic relationship. One might have cash flow problems, too. This is a special kind of aspect, a mutual reception, where the ruler of one sign is in the sign ruled by the other. Saturn is exalted in Libra so is the stronger party in this mutual reception. One might break off a relationship and be better off because of it.

The Sun in Sag sextiles Saturn at 27 degrees Libra at 11:24 am Monday. Positive Sun-Saturn aspects help one to discipline oneself to achieve a goal, such as checking off chores from your to-do list. You may benefit from chatting with a mentor or more experienced person.

Venus promptly makes two different aspects hours later. Venus squares Jupiter at zero degrees Taurus at 9:19 pm Tuesday, and sextiles Uranus at zero degrees Aries at 2:56 am Wednesday. Venus-Jupiter squares just dare us to go overboard on food, drink, sweets. Venus-Uranus sextiles give us an extra charm, we are interested in meeting new people (preferably ones with an foreign accent or who are unusual in some way). We may have an extra knack for music and jazz and the arts in general, as Venus and Uranus govern music and rhythm.

Venus enters Aquarius at 1:26 pm Tuesday. I do not believe that Venus in this sign means free love or open marriages or anything of the kind. Aquarius is a fixed sign, and Venus (or the Moon) in an air sign in general means that one prefers to have a mental connection with the one you love, in fact you demand it. I have known Aquarians who stay married for decades to the same partner; although the partner may be quite different from them in some way. Examples: different backgrounds, religion or race.

The Sun enters Capricorn at 12:30 am Thursday. Happy birthday to all the “sea goats” out there. Capricorns are hard-working and tend to be ambitious – if not for themselves then for their kids. Cappy is not as dull as they're often made out to be, but when they are at work, they give it their all. Off duty, they may enjoy camping out and roughing it, or reading about history. They admire self-made men and women.

The Sun promptly trines Jupiter still at zero degrees Taurus at 9:33 am, and squares Uranus in Aries at 5:14 pm Thursday. Sun-Jupiter trines are quite lucky, and you may not have to do anything more than stand still so that luck can find YOU. Sun-Uranus squares provoke us into letting out the inner rebel, so you might wear something unusual or hang out with some strange people.

Looking ahead, Jupiter makes a stationary direct at zero degrees, 22 minutes of Taurus at 5:08 pm Sunday, Dec. 25, Christmas Day. This should be extraordinary. In the middle of a recession, this station perhaps inspires us to look to the true meaning of Christmas on a spiritual level (Jupiter), even though Taurus is a sign that likes material comforts. Could we see the two blended in exquisite, inspirational music, possibly for opera or theater?

PS – I listed a few used astrology books for sale on Amazon Books; Part Two was posted July 1! **Includes a classic Alan Leo book** Look for reviews in my column with a link to the listing. Some prices now reduced. Thanks for your support (and patience). Note that the Intuition book, listed in Part One, has sold.

ALSO – see my popular article on late degrees of all the signs. Link: http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2008/08/15/planets-in-late-degrees-what-do-they-mean/
ALSO – see new article on The Goddess Archetypes: The Pallas Athena Myth at http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/the-goddess-archetypes-the-pallas-athena-myth/
or on BLOGSPOT it is at http://milky-way-astrology.blogspot.com/2011/07/goddess-archetypes-pallas-athena-myth.html
--- also as you read it you may also avail yourself of the excellent QUESTIONNAIRE on the Goddess-Power website at http://goddess-power.com/questions.htm to determine your own goddess profile.
ALSO – check out Astrology.com -- free lessons online

Readers can follow not only their Sun sign horoscope but also the sign of their Ascendant for further clues to how your week will develop. Also note: some aspects are exact on a weekend but may find opportunity for expression on the Friday or Monday nearest the exact aspect. Times given are in Eastern Standard or Eastern Daylight Savings Time depending on the season.

ARIES - March 20-April 19 – On Sunday your mate may suddenly change plans for the day, or possibly mom may drop in unexpectedly. (Have holiday cookies ready.) Your mate may help you study for an exam Monday. Venus enters your solar eleventh house of friends on Tuesday; you enjoy time with kindred spirits, some of whom you may not have seen for ages. You may also give time to help with fund-raising for your fave local charity. Thursday morn, Solstice day, may be rather lucky for you. Saturday morn is alas, rather stressful and decorating may not go smoothly.

TAURUS - April 20-May 20 – Pay attention to diet on Sunday as too much dairy may offend your digestion. Monday could be a good day to pick up extra work on your sideline business. Venus enters your solar tenth house of career on Tuesday; your employer starts to ponder what else they can use you for. Thursday looks very lucky if you are building your future. Enjoy the employee appreciation perks received this month. You might start to dream about your next long trip, or going back to school. Hopes of seeing your words in print could come true.

GEMINI - May 21-June 20 – Share Sunday brunch with an unusual friend. You may be glum about your love life early in the week, but hold on--- Venus enters your solar ninth house of law-college-publishing on Tuesday; you might get to take a nice long trip with someone you love. Or, if you start out alone, you could meet some lovely person in the next seat. Mercury with the Moon in your solar ninth house helps you find a public for your writings on Thursday. You may spend a winter vacation doing extreme sports.

CANCER - June 21-July 22 – Sunday morning is particularly stressful with a square in cardinal signs; you may really have to push to get those Christmas cookies done, and for gosh sakes watch they don't burn. Monday favors having company over, Wednesday favors having a party for the kids with games. Venus enters your solar eighth house of pooled resources on Tuesday; you may be able to get credit, or you get involved in the family business. You may really have to push to get work done Friday.

LEO - July 23-Aug. 22 – A Monday lunch with a mentor or older relative could be quite helpful. Venus enters your solar seventh house of partners on Tuesday; turn on the charm, Mr or Miss Leo, and see what lovely things (including new romances) come your way. Apply your best manners to every situation, too. You may be able to pick up an extra job in the service sector over the holidays. You enjoy being with the public on Saturday, and may even work extra hours.

VIRGO - Aug. 23-Sept. 22 – Don't be surprised if throwing a party for the children Sunday costs more than you thought; plan carefully. On Monday you figure out how to throw that party painlessly. Venus enters your solar sixth house of health and work on Tuesday; you want to feel good and so begin trying out new treatments or spa services. You could also adopt a new furry love-muffin (aka pet). You seek out more creative outlets over the holiday break; perhaps you could stock up on art supplies. Thursday could be quite lucky for you.

LIBRA - Sept. 23-Oct. 22 – The Moon is in Libra from 3:06 am Sunday till Tuesday morn. Don't be too surprised if someone makes a surprise visit early Sunday. You may decide this week to spend a buck on home and family, but only when you find the right deal. If in school, you may earn a special recognition Monday. You may do someone a Random Act of Kindness Tuesday morning; it does not matter if they say thanks, they may be too stunned to think what to say. Venus enters your solar fifth house on Tuesday, ushering in a month of delightful flirting.

SCORPIO - Oct. 23-Nov. 21 – The Moon is in Scorpio from 5:33 am Tuesday till Thursday morn. Emotions may quite sneak up on you Tuesday, so keep a hankie handy. Venus enters your solar fourth house of home on Tuesday; you want to redecorate, but making items with your own talented hands may be more satisfying. Your energy is good Wednesday, so plan on devoting time to a project or holiday prep. With the Sun entering your solar third house, you may do a lot more talking than your laconic self prefers, but it is only for a few weeks.

SAGITTARIUS - Nov. 22-Dec. 21 – The Moon is Sag from 7:03 am Thursday till Saturday morn. Thursday is an extremely busy day with things coming in twos or threes, plus some coincidences. Christmas shopping of course, but possible flashes of insight, too. Venus enters your solar third house of transit, messages, and books on Tuesday; you may receive books as Christmas gifts, love letters, make money from your internet blogs, or do more socializing. The Sun enters your solar second house this week; while you may do more shopping or earning, it is also very common for this transit to mark a move, with all the handling and packing of every single thing you own.

CAPRICORN - Dec. 22-Jan. 19 – Venus enters your solar second house of finances on Tuesday; you may start hanging around beautiful places like galleries, showrooms, posh houses, etc. You exchange gifts of beauty, comfort or confections. The Moon is in Capricorn from 8:47 am Saturday, Christmas Eve, thru the holiday weekend. You are quite determined to observe this Christmas in your own fashion, nixing any prior traditions no matter what. You may upset others with last-minute changes in plans, so try to give advance notice at least.

AQUARIUS - Jan. 20-Feb. 17 -Sunday does not favor throwing a party, however Venus enters your sign Tuesday and joins Pallas early next week, which enables you to play Social Director very nicely. Venus enters your solar first house of self-image on Tuesday; you visit a salon for a makeover, primp a little more, socialize more, pay each other compliments. Tuesday night may be a little stressful at home, but more relaxed at a relative's or neighbor's house. Thursday you just want to cocoon in your own home. Saturday also favors small gatherings with just you, your mate and the kids.

PISCES - Feb. 18-March 19 – Sunday favors creative outlets, so if you're making some of your gifts, bless your lil old heart. Monday favors getting chores done and checking off items on the to-do list. Venus enters your solar twelfth house on Tuesday; you may discover you have a secret admirer or secret backer, or participate in behind-the-scenes deals. You may receive kind advice about investing but you don't want to hear it just now. The coming month sees you focusing efforts for your club or team, possibly as an officer or coach. Thursday favors fun times with friends or relatives, so put together a small but choice selection of photos to pass around.

Your Milky Way Horoscope Dec. 11-17, 2011

2011-11-26T19:04:00.000-08:00

By Milky Way Maid

Yay, Mercury goes direct at 8:43 pm at 3 degrees, 51' of Sag on Tuesday, Dec. 13. It will leave its Storm on Dec. 18, the same day that it sextiles the Moon. The couple of days on either side of the station call for extra caution when driving or making important transactions.

Sunday, Dec. 11 is probably going to be pretty stressful due to the long-term Uranus-Pluto square, exacerbated by the Moon in Cancer squaring Uranus at 9:40 am and opposing Pluto at 9:04 pm. Since there is really only one global “revolution” in progress and that is the Occupy Wall Street phenomenon, this will most likely be the focus of events for the period. Just chasing people out of public parks and squares is not going to put OWS out of business, not at all.

As for the personal impact of this transit, you will probably strongly object to anyone who tries to make you knuckle down in any way. Us regular people have had it in regards to companies taking advantage of consumers, of companies dictating what laws are passed by our legislatures and what ones are enforced by consumer protection agencies and the FDA, and so forth. People who have ignored OWS or any other local protest will finally be ready to make their own statement, whether public or private. They may change their financial institutions, storm police lines, carry a picket, or just silently vow to never be a victim of the Powers That Be anymore.

Since there are so few outer planet aspects this week, maybe we can think a little bit about the long-term impact of the long-term square between Uranus in Aries and Pluto in Capricorn. We are revisiting the conjunction of these planets which occurred in the 1960s, a decade remembered more for its protests than just about anything else (other than the music, of course). To me, the protests are not against merely the cultural majority, but the entrenched power (Pluto) of Big Business (Capricorn) which has wrongfully usurped too much influence in politics, government, and just about everything else you can think of. The conjunction won't come until next June, folks, and so anyone who dreams that the protests will just go away is smoking something. The Haves seem to be quite threatened by the thousands who have shown some form of support for this grass-roots movement, leading to the attempts to brutally shut down the sit-in and campouts. May I also refer readers to a pretty good article that appeared on the MundaneAstrologers dot com site at http://mundaneastrologers.com/research-intiative/uranus-in-aries-square-pluto-in-capricorn/

ALSO, a related article appeared on Blog.MundaneAstro.org at http://www.blog.mundaneastro.org/2011/11/02/the-arab-spring-an-astrological-look-back-and-forecast/ (sorry about the typos in that latter article but I can't do anything about it) This latter article focuses more on the Arab Spring, which will apparently continue into 2012 and which the author compares to the 1989 collapse of the Soviet Union (and I might add, of the Berlin Wall). You might want to make a chart of the foundation of Tunisia and Egypt before reading about the current “Jasmine” revolution. Tunisia: June 15, 1956, 1700 hours, Tunis. Egypt: June 19, 1953, 1:30 am, Cairo.

What is meant by astrological birth control? Find out by reading this new article at --- http://milky-way-astrology.blogspot.com/2011/11/astrological-birth-control-not-same-as.html

PS – I listed a few used astrology books for sale on Amazon Books; Part Two was posted July 1! **Includes a classic Alan Leo book** Look for reviews in my column with a link to the listing. Some prices now reduced. Thanks for your support (and patience). Note that the Intuition book, listed in Part One, has sold.
ALSO – see my popular article on late degrees of all the signs. Link: http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2008/08/15/planets-in-late-degrees-what-do-they-mean/
ALSO – see new article on The Goddess Archetypes: The Pallas Athena Myth at http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/the-goddess-archetypes-the-pallas-athena-myth/
ALSO – check out Astrology.com -- free lessons online

Readers can follow not only their Sun sign horoscope but also the sign of their Ascendant for further clues to how your week will develop. Also note: some aspects are exact on a weekend but may find opportunity for expression on the Friday or Monday nearest the exact aspect. Times given are in Eastern Standard or Eastern Daylight Savings Time depending on the season.

ARIES - March 20-April 19 – An imaginative friend shares his latest story with you Sunday. You are split between wanting to spend time at work and at home; just try to make every day quality time no matter where you are. You especially enjoy playing with the children Tuesday night. Thursday you are brimming with ideas and enthusiasm. Mercury goes direct in your solar ninth house of law, publishing, college, and the internet this week; if you don't have a blog maybe you should start one. You mind demands to be fed and you begin to read voraciously.

TAURUS - April 20-May 20 – A relative may be quite generous Sunday. Mass communication is favored Sunday night. Your generosity may not be welcome Tuesday. You may find creative home decorating ideas online Thursday. Late Thursday is very pleasurable while you applaud your children in the pageant. A legal decision finally hands down a favorable ruling late in the week. Mercury goes direct in your solar eighth house of pooled resources such as insurance this week; it is possible that a problem with an insurer is finally resolved. You may have discussions about taboo topics.

GEMINI - May 21-June 20 – The Moon is in Gemini as the week begins but only till about 8:30 am Sunday. You wake up Sunday under a Moon-Neptune trine, open to hopes of a more idealistic future for all humanity. Perform a random act of kindness today. Your mate may loan you some cash to go Christmas shopping Monday. Relatives like your unusual friends Tuesday. Thursday, a sibling agrees to teach your kids how to knit. Mercury goes direct in your solar seventh house of partners this week; you may find out something about a spouse or business partner that you never imagined before.

CANCER - June 21-July 22 – The Moon is in its home of Cancer from 8:26 am Sunday till Tuesday afternoon. Sunday morning's plans are apt to change, so have a Plan B ready. Try not to get bogged down in a power struggle that night. Your energy is pretty good Monday so check off lots of chores from your list. Midday Tuesday is frustrating when someone says no. Thursday you hear about a friend's plans for a trip and wish you could go along. Late Saturday the purse strings may open up a bit more. Mercury goes direct in your solar sixth house of work and health this week; daily life speeds up, with phone calls coming two at a time.

LEO - July 23-Aug. 22 – The Moon is in Leo from 4:48 pm Tuesday till Thursday night. You could blow things out of proportion Tuesday afternoon; chill out a bit before blowing your stack. Mercury goes direct later Tuesday in your solar fifth house; you may get a go-ahead for a creative project, or make reservations for dinner theatre, casino bus, etc. Wednesday is a day for adjustments and work-arounds. Midday Thursday brings convivial company at lunch. You attend a good class or lecture Thursday afternoon, and knock off for a movie that night. Try to avoid busting the budget later in the week.

VIRGO - Aug. 23-Sept. 22 – You find a friend to swim or bowl with on Monday. The Moon is in Virgo from 10:58 pm Thursday till the wee hours of next Sunday. Post your best blog ever on Thursday night. Keep your ears open Friday morning or you could miss something. You are able to make a deal with the kids Friday night; make sure it's fair one. Saturday's supper hour can be stressful, but the evening calms down into a very pleasant time with the kids. Mercury goes direct in your solar fourth house this week; you locate that lost family album.

LIBRA - Sept. 23-Oct. 22 – Your spouse is not happy that you have to work this Sunday, but reassures you of his love on Monday. Midday Tuesday is stressful when you don't have the means to produce the work expected of you. Your mate enjoys your friend's sense of humor at dinner Tuesday. You take the children to help out on a non-profit group's project Thursday. Mercury goes direct in your solar third house of relatives-messages-transit this week; the car will be fixed, and lost messages turn up. You breeze thru puzzles and brain games.

SCORPIO - Oct. 23-Nov. 21 – Sunday you try to figure out how to make money on your blogs. Monday you buy gifts on the internet. Work and career are favored on Tuesday. A discussion group shares a useful tip with you. Mercury goes direct in your solar second house of money this week; that check finally arrives, and you figure out what to do about finances. You may find out what you are worth to an employer.

SAGITTARIUS - Nov. 22-Dec. 21 – Health and insurance matters are examined Sunday. Some legal matter related to the workplace runs into a snag. An outing with the children to a comedy show Tuesday ends happily. A friend may refer you to a good lawyer. Work and career matters look up late Thursday. Mercury goes direct in your solar first house of self this week; you may feel like Mr. Microphone because you are suddenly called on to make the announcements or official statement.

CAPRICORN - Dec. 22-Jan. 19 – Tempers may flare and things may break Sunday morning. But you enjoy emotional closeness that evening. Monday might is very affectionate. You lay down the rules Wednesday, but try not to be arbitrary. Saturday night is best for making music, candy or other enjoyments. Mercury goes direct in your solar twelfth house of seclusion and secrets this week; you may decide to go to that writers' workshop, or be called into confidential discussions.

AQUARIUS - Jan. 20-Feb. 17 – A friend shares a creative project with you Sunday. You could easily overdo the holiday decorating Tuesday. In-laws or other relatives share an enjoyable outing Thursday. Try not to incur debts late in the week; talk over any large purchase with your mate. Mercury goes direct in your solar eleventh house of friends this week; you volunteer to do the club newsletter, or man the phone bank. Discussions center on which team you like and which will go to the Super Bowl.

PISCES - Feb. 18-March 19 – You and a sibling decide to hear that angelic children's choir Sunday. Your club has a special family event Monday night; by all means go. Invite relatives to a late dinner Thursday. Friday morning is too hectic; plan as much as possible the night before. Mercury goes direct in your solar tenth house of career this week; you suddenly have two Power Points to put together, plus conference calls to set up.

Your Milky Way Horoscope Dec. 4-10, 2011

2011-11-26T19:00:00.000-08:00

By Milky Way Maid

The Sun is conjunct a retrograde Mercury at 11 degrees, 51' Sag at 3:52 am Sunday. Sun-Mercury conjunctions are always a major signpost of the economic cycle so keep an ear tuned to the news from Wall Street (occupied or not). I am going to hazard a guess that the continuing protests by OWS may begin to have an effect on the markets since the movement succeeded in getting thousands of people to withdraw funds from the major banks, and who knows what other measures the protesters make take to make their voices heard by the Haves.

Mercury quickly squares Mars at 10 degrees Sag at 6:19 pm Sunday. Mercury square Mars usually denotes passionate debate, angry words, and given the continuing Occupy Wall Street protests, I would expect that the protests may either turn violent or that the police may ruthlessly crush them. Or both.

Venus in Capricorn trines Mars at 10 degrees Virgo at 10:07 am Monday. Harmonious aspects between male and female energies augur well for starting relationships or for facilitating settlements between opposing parties. One is liable to fall in love with almost anyone so be sure to put yourself near someone that meets your standards. Also creative inspiration is spurred into action by supporting Mars energy.

Jupiter in Taurus sextiles Chiron at almost 1 degree Pisces at 7:03 pm Tuesday. Sufferers may benefit from a healer of any type, from conventional medicine to the laying on of hands. Pisces leans toward spiritual succor.

We have a total Lunar Eclipse at 18 degrees, 11' Gemini at 9:36 am Saturday. Earlier the same day, Uranus makes a direct station at zero degrees, 39 minutes of Aries. I might note that Jupiter is also nearly at a standstill, and makes his direct station on December 25 at zero degrees, 22' of Taurus. Even tho this is considered a minor aspect, the semi-sextile will I think have a larger, surprising impact due to the fact that they are stationing and will be sitting on zero degrees of their signs for some time. Uranus is of course the sign of revolution and rebellion and protest, change not just for change's sake but in the interest of justice and the implied contract (Jupiter) with the people.

An eclipse chart set for New York city has 22 degrees, 16' Capricorn rising, the sign of Big Business. The Ascendant is widely conjunct Venus in the twelfth house and square Saturn in the ninth of law, national news and the internet; I predict that business will suffer from withheld (Saturn) patronage (Venus) by customers possibly as another phase of the OWS protest. Business might also be frustrated by the limits of legal measures that they can take against the protesters.

The Part of Fortune, it may interest you to know, is right on the descendant in Cancer, favoring the protesters. The midheaven is at 16 degrees 26' Scorpio, conjunct Juno at 15 degrees, sextile Mars in the eighth and sextile Venus in the twelfth. The news may be dominated by a woman, someone who dramatically focuses and balances the energies of rebellion values being debated in the public arena. The Sun is conjunct the North Node (four degrees apart) in the eleventh house, and the nodes are closely square Mars. The nodes also square Ceres at 19 Pisces. Pallas and Vesta are both in Aquarius in the first house.

Jan Spiller says that a lunar eclipse in Gemini brings lessons in how to communicate, both in terms of language and social behavior. Ask for feedback to ensure that what you said is what others heard. One must give up hermit-like tendencies and become more socially aware. One is called upon to share the knowledge one has gained in this life and in previous lives.
What is meant by astrological birth control? Find out by reading this new article at --- http://milky-way-astrology.blogspot.com/2011/11/astrological-birth-control-not-same-as.html

PS – I listed a few used astrology books for sale on Amazon Books; Part Two was posted July 1! **Includes a classic Alan Leo book** Look for reviews in my column with a link to the listing. Some prices now reduced. Thanks for your support (and patience). Note that the Intuition book, listed in Part One, has sold.
ALSO – see my popular article on late degrees of all the signs. Link: http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2008/08/15/planets-in-late-degrees-what-do-they-mean/
ALSO – see new article on The Goddess Archetypes: The Pallas Athena Myth at http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/the-goddess-archetypes-the-pallas-athena-myth/
ALSO – check out Astrology.com -- free lessons online

Readers can follow not only their Sun sign horoscope but also the sign of their Ascendant for further clues to how your week will develop. Also note: some aspects are exact on a weekend but may find opportunity for expression on the Friday or Monday nearest the exact aspect. Times given are in Eastern Standard or Eastern Daylight Savings Time depending on the season.

ARIES - March 20-April 19 - The Moon is in Aries from Sunday till Tuesday morning. Sunday may be rather stressful, with squares to Pluto and Venus in Capricorn. The evening is more agreeable as you spend time chatting with kindred spirits over dinner. Monday is devoted to work. Tuesday morn is brightened by a sympathetic friend. Uranus goes direct in your sign Saturday. If Uranus is conjunct your Sun, heart irregularities may occur and should receive attention. Other Arians may be upset, may be accident-prone, so chill out and be aware of your surroundings. And some Arians may find their inner rebel, and embrace change.

TAURUS - April 20-May 20 – An insurance matter may be belatedly settled early in the week. The Moon is in Taurus from 9:34 am Tuesday till Thursday night. You may overdo at lunch Tuesday, or perhaps you treat someone. You read the real lowdown on the internet that night. Wednesday may be a power day for you, when the moon in Taurus trines Mars and Venus in the other earth signs. Earth signs build things, whether tangible or intangible, from houses to companies. So have your plans at hand, and gather a work crew. You may have to find other people's money to fund the project. Thursday evening you can be a little idealistic, but the mood is perfect for a night at the movies.

GEMINI - May 21-June 20 – The Moon is in Gemini from 9:52 pm Thursday till next Sunday. You may have a brilliant idea Thursday night but be safety-conscious before getting on any ladders. Friday morn may be spent on sales talks, and the rest of the day is rather strenuous. The Full Moon eclipse occurs in your sign on Saturday morning; see above notes about that. You might be put on the spot as a spokesperson or you may have to in effect tutor others on how to communicate and to pay attention to the effect one's words have on others. Any weekend chores should be saved for Sat. night or Sunday.

CANCER - June 21-July 22 – Attempts to get a loan early in the week may not pan out according to initial promises. Also balancing demands of work and family may be more difficult right now, but it's hard to say no to overtime. Tuesday favors lunch with a dear, generous friend. You feel more like cocooning later in the week. The Uranus station in your career house Saturday may throw a curve ball at you regarding your employer or possibly one's father.

LEO - July 23-Aug. 22 – Sunday's Sun-Mercury conjunction in your solar fifth house of creativity may bring a burst of ideas, not all of which will work out but write them down before they are lost. Sunday evening favors a bull session to generate more ideas, or how you might make them work. Thursday, prepare to turn your understudy role into a star turn. Uranus makes a station in your solar ninth house of law and publishing. Possibly a book deal offer may come out of the blue, or a legal matters may take a funny bounce of the football.

VIRGO - Aug. 23-Sept. 22 – Sunday's Sun-Mercury conjunction in your solar fourth house throws a caution flag on appliance purchases. Tuesday favors posting anything important on the internet or on your blog. Wednesday could also a power day for you if you are building anything tangible, or investing. Guard your health Thursday night, and refuse to be ruffled on a stressful Friday. Uranus going direct in your solar eighth house Saturday may signal an unexpected bequest or a undependable insurer. Saturday morning also finds you juggling demands on your time.

LIBRA - Sept. 23-Oct. 22 – A flurry of communications flies in early in the week, although with Mercury retrograde not all of it will pan out as planned. Sunday is also stressful at home, but try to balance the holiday rush with budget restraint. The Moon is in compatible Gemini starting Thursday night, but life is no less demanding. Make time to just chill out with an eggnog or tea. Uranus going direct in your solar seventh house Saturday may signal a rift with, or at least surprising news about, a personal or business partner.

SCORPIO - Oct. 23-Nov. 21 – The Sun and Mercury are conjunct in your solar second house of money on Sunday; financial matters can make a new start altho stressful demands are not over. You balance Mars and Venus energies thru volunteering for non-profits or other groups this week. Finances, insurance, investments, and friends all make demands on you; perhaps legal services can help bargain down the balance owed. Uranus going direct in your solar sixth house Saturday may mean sudden illnesses or sudden job offers.

SAGITTARIUS - Nov. 22-Dec. 21 – Best day of the week may be Sunday, with the Moon in compatible aspect and favoring time in convivial company. You may also have a brief argument, too, but it is best ended by agreeing to disagree. You may donate some time to a club or non-profit early in the week. Someone may ask you for creative input mid-week. Encourage the wife and kids to go to some holiday event by themselves Thursday night. Friday night is tense, and does not favor outings with family nor career events. Uranus direct in your solar fifth house of children may find a child makes a surprising announcement.

CAPRICORN - Dec. 22-Jan. 19 – Sunday's Sun-Mercury conjunction may denote that things you'd rather remained private become public embarrassments. But a Sunday evening jaunt with family creates excited chatter and creative expression. Wednesday may be a power day personally; you find plans online on how to make your dreams into reality. You can't say no to children's requests on Thursday. Uranus going direct in your solar fourth house Saturday may shake up the household in some way.

AQUARIUS - Jan. 20-Feb. 17 - Sunday's Sun-Mercury conjunction in your solar eleventh house of friends may caution you to take what your friends say with a grain of salt. Air signs enjoy tossing around ideas on Sunday night. Monday favors a private rendezvous instead of Christmas shopping. On Friday you might take the kids along on a volunteer task. Uranus going direct in your solar third house Saturday may open up a new world to you online, but do be careful to have your firewalls up.

PISCES - Feb. 18-March 19 – Sunday's Sun-Mercury conjunction in your solar tenth house of career may signal a new start in some ways, but be cautious about promises that may or may be fulfilled. The beginning and end of the week have stressful days, so employ your “psychic shield” setting. Sunday finds you trying to juggle home and career again. Guard your health Thursday night. You are pulled in four directions Friday, but try not to feel like a wishbone. Uranus going direct in your solar second house Saturday may signal erratic finances or payment.

Astrological Birth Control Not Same as Rhythm Method

2011-11-26T18:38:00.000-08:00

by Milky Way Maid

With all the pressure being put on insurance companies and pharmacists to not cover or offer birth control supplies or information, women may be forced to fall back on more traditional forms of birth control. Astrologers have access to an alternative to the rhythm method (also known as the Knaus-Ogino method). And if practiced faithfully, the astrological method known as Jonas-Rechnitz (aka cosmic or astrological birth control or A-B-C) claims to have as good a record as the birth control pill in avoiding unwanted pregnancy.

Studies in Czechoslovakia in the 1960s showed a 97.7 percent success rate for the Jonas-Rechnitz method , on par with The Pill. According to what I have read about this method, the fertility cycle is not necessarily congruent with the menstrual cycle, and that this accounts for the phenomenon of conception during one's menses. Such occurrences are not deemed possible under current mechanistic understanding of the female cycle, so there has to be something else going on.

The major drawback of astrological birth control is that it cannot be combined with the pill. Women who want to hedge their bets cannot use both, thinking that when one method fails the other will kick in. Taking the hormones in the pills throws the woman off her natural cycle and onto one dependent on the date she started taking her pills.

Due to the fact that taking the pill became so widespread, all other natural forms of birth control were abandoned. I provide this information more as a historical footnote --- and as an observation about astrological cycles --- than as a viable alternative for most modern women who prefer to take their pills and forget about everything else.

OK, you ask, so tell me what is this method all about? The Jonas-Rechnitz method posits that the woman is most fertile when the transiting Sun-Moon angle is the same as the Sun-Moon angle in her natal chart.

If you have an astrological program, or have a chart service print up a chart for you, it may include the angle between the Sun and Moon somewhere in the small print.

If not, it is not too hard to calculate this angle. First, translate the placement of the lights in terms of the 360-degree circle. In other words, the first degree of Aries is 1, the first degree of Taurus is 31, and so forth as you go around the zodiac through Pisces.

Say your Sun is at 22 degrees of Cancer. You have three whole signs before it, each of thirty degrees. Three times 30 = 90, to which you add 22 degrees. The total is therefore 112.

And then say your Moon is at 8 degrees of Sagittarius, or 249 on the 360-degree wheel.
Subtract the smaller number from the larger; we do not deal with negative numbers here. 249 – 112 = 137. Okay, now we have a working number to find this same angle in charts of Sun-Moon angles for the upcoming months and years.

For example, in charts for the year 1973, the angle of 137 degrees occurs on Jan. 15, Feb. 14. March 15, April 13-14, May 13, and so forth. One would abstain from relations on those days, on the two days preceding and one day after. For extra “insurance” to avoid pregnancy, one may combine this method with the rhythm method which might add another 7-14 days of abstinence to the month --- not a great hardship when one considers that many health risks of taking birth control pills are completely sidestepped.

The real beauty of this system is that it can be used either for avoiding or for trying to get pregnant. The woman who has finally found the man she wants to live with long-term, has found a pleasant home to raise children in, and has saved up funds to help support the wanted child, can discontinue her pills and after establishing a natural cycle, can hope to complete her family.

In addition, women who have difficult side effects of taking hormone pills such as depression, crying jags, and so forth, find this technique to spare both them and their families the strain of living in the same household.

Inre to the sex of the child: A baby conceived on days when the woman was fertile according to this method, reflects the sign that the Moon is in when she conceived will denote the sex of the child. If the Moon is in “masculine” signs like Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sag, or Aquarius, then there is a high probability that the child will be male. If the Moon is in the “feminine” signs like Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn, or Pisces, then there is a high probability that the child will be a girl.

Women who have a natal angle that is stressful, that is a conjunction (zero degrees), square (90 or 270 degrees) or opposition (180) tend to have high odds of conceiving defective, stillborn, or miscarried children, or have a problem pregnancy. In that case, the source book suggests that they try using the rhythm cycle to conceive a healthy baby.

Women who have a very irregular or spotty menstrual cycle are advised to try using another method to determine when they are most fertile. The method that is most often employed uses observation of mucus thickness to determine when she is ovulating. This is called the Ovulation Method or Billings method.

SOURCE: Condensed from “Natural Birth Control” by Art Rosenblum, Aquarian Research Foundation, Philadelphia, PA, 1973. Book does not list vendors of tables of Sun-Moon angles. I do not find such charts on the internet either, but there is this related article at http://www.astrologyweekly.com/astrology-articles/fertility-jonas-dicu.php

Your Milky Way Horoscope Nov. 27-Dec. 3, 2011

2011-11-19T21:00:00.000-08:00

By Milky Way Maid

Venus in Capricorn trines Jupiter at 1 degree Taurus at 4:23 pm Sunday. Venus trine Jupiter is very fond of pleasure and is self-indulgent. Earth signs may be especially prone to overeat or overindulge in other ways. But a great time to enjoy the abundance of the harvest and all the good things in life with those around you.

Venus conjoins Pluto at 6 degrees of Capricorn at 8:51 pm Thursday. Venus-Pluto conjunctions can denote being wiped out financially, or on the other hand denote a great financial coupe – it's all or nothing at all. Be very cautious about going to the gaming tables or casino, although I suppose the bingo hall is alright. Venus-Pluto also can refer to having a romantic obsession about someone, almost always someone that you cannot have. (You're going to have to get over him or her eventually, anyway, so ditch him and move on.)

The Sun in Sag squares Mars at 9 degrees Virgo at 8:08 am Friday. Sun square Mars is very competitive and digs in his heels. This is more true if you are in a sports contest, but can apply to contests in your office (who sells more) or the mostly friendly bowling league. You may get drawn into a long duel (best 3 of 5, then best 8 of 15, and so on). Promise the other party a rematch and get back to whatever else you were doing.

PS – I listed a few used astrology books for sale on Amazon Books; Part Two was posted July 1! **Includes a classic Alan Leo book** Look for reviews in my column with a link to the listing. Some prices now reduced. Thanks for your support (and patience). Note that the Intuition book, listed in Part One, has sold.

ALSO – see my popular article on late degrees of all the signs. Link: http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2008/08/15/planets-in-late-degrees-what-do-they-mean/
ALSO – see new article on The Goddess Archetypes: The Pallas Athena Myth at http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/the-goddess-archetypes-the-pallas-athena-myth/
ALSO – check out Astrology.com -- free lessons online

Readers can follow not only their Sun sign horoscope but also the sign of their Ascendant for further clues to how your week will develop. Also note: some aspects are exact on a weekend but may find opportunity for expression on the Friday or Monday nearest the exact aspect. Times given are in Eastern Standard or Eastern Daylight Savings Time depending on the season.

ARIES - March 20-April 19 – Sunday afternoon's Venus-Jupiter trine throws some financial luck your way. Your timing is perfect early Tuesday. Your friends present good arguments on Wednesday. Career issues may come to a head on Thursday. You're very competitive at work Friday, I mean that in a good way. The Moon is in Aries from 8:51 pm Saturday thru the weekend. You may feel a bit emotionally upset by someone Saturday night, but try to let it slide off your shoulders.

TAURUS - April 20-May 20 – Your efforts Sunday are rewarded with pleasant relaxation Sunday pm, a treat from an older person. Career frustrations may come to a peak on Tuesday, but this may be relieved by some legal or publishing good news on Thursday – which you might celebrate that night with some compatible friends or relatives on a modest night out. Your kids may be especially competitive Friday so make a point of attending their games.

GEMINI - May 21-June 20 – Spending time Sunday in your private retreat will be pleasurable, and provide your quota of mental health credits. You connect with an unusual friend early Tuesday. Your mate gets a good review Tuesday. You are up late Wednesday with a serious discussion. Career matters take an upturn Thursday; possibly the company gets an expansion loan. Friday morn may be rather stressful and yet it presents opportunities if you are aggressive in pressing your interests.

CANCER - June 21-July 22 – The week starts with the Moon in your opposite sign, making you think your mate is unusually moody or sensitive. Connect with a brother over Sunday brunch, then invite friends over for supper. Monday pm is emotionally stressful so don't hold a dinner party. Concerns about money gather focus until on Thursday you realize how obsessed your mate is about it, and about controlling others via money. It's up to you to set him straight. Thursday pm is much more harmonious, but on Friday it's the siblings and kids acting up. Sigh.

LEO - July 23-Aug. 22 – Career matters could take a positive turn Sunday or Monday. You may have trouble getting siblings to agree on holiday schedules Monday. Career may be stressful Tuesday, but it may just be the company's growing pains. The kids may talk your ear off Wednesday morning, or creative writing flows easily. Cash flow may be the issue at work Thursday, this may mean problems getting customers to pay. The kids and your in-laws are not seeing eye-to-eye Friday. Friday in general is a stressful day for many, so you might counsel everyone to think things over. Your lawyer or your editor has a brilliant insight over the weekend.

VIRGO - Aug. 23-Sept. 22 – Virgo can be quite productive Sunday under the Venus-Jupiter trine; you might create gifts, or cook up a home buffet spread. You or the kids might be a bit depressed Monday over budget matters, perhaps over the limited gift budget – but you can give tips on how to stretch a buck. Your mate has quite a pleasant day Thursday, and you catch the reflected glory. Friday is stressful for you re balancing work, home and family needs; give yourself a break and admit that not everything can be perfect! An insurance payment is very timely late in the week.

LIBRA - Sept. 23-Oct. 22 – Family matters and family gatherings take up a great deal of your time Sunday, and someone may have a wonderful piece of good news to share. Someone may not want to hear your good advice on Monday, but you may find a more receptive audience on Wednesday night. Your siblings hit it off with your kids Tuesday. Somehow the atmosphere at home is marred by trying to control others with money, and your job is to prevent that. Take care of health checkups that afternoon before the holidays crowd everyone's schedules. You may make a great effort Friday to get caught up with correspondence.

SCORPIO - Oct. 23-Nov. 21 – You, your spouse and some friends have a wonderful time Sunday; plan something special. You may have to say no on Monday. Tuesday is a mixed bag. Family finances look OK, but there is pressure to spend more. Resist. Good financial news may be in the in-box Wednesday am. You may be rather startled by a sibling's obsession Thursday. The Moon in compatible Pisces Thursday pm smiles on creative pursuits and on children. Avoid loaning money to a friend on Friday. Try to avoid stomach upsets on Saturday.

SAGITTARIUS - Nov. 22-Dec. 21 – You easily break the gifting budget on Sunday. You may have to say no to friends on Monday. A sibling's health may be the only obstacle in making holiday plans Tuesday. Your sales talk finds a receptive audience Wednesday morn. Your bank account is either overflowing or busted by Thursday, probably the former because I see you handing out early holiday treats to family coworkers. Friday is the most stressful day of the week, with everyone pulling to meet deadlines. Children are very funny Saturday.

CAPRICORN - Dec. 22-Jan. 19 – The Moon is in Capricorn from Sun.-Tues. am. You take control of the household early Sunday and set out the agenda for everybody, tho frankly, acting like a general may not endear yourself to family members. But having rounded up volunteers, you accomplish a great deal by midday. Monday is a hard-working day. You may be upset about the financial situation of a child of yours on Tuesday. On Thursday you may try to control someone you love (THAT isn't very loving). Saturday night is spent with home and family, one of whom may stop you in your tracks.

AQUARIUS - Jan. 20-Feb. 17 – The Moon is in Aquarius from 2:02 am Tuesday till Thursday morning. An odd dream may make you laugh Tuesday. Pinch pennies early in the week and you will have plenty on the weekend. You find a friend Tuesday. Chatting makes the day pass faster Wednesday. You can inspire yourself Thursday morning and that can carry you thru the whole day. The Venus-Pluto conjunction Thursday could cause you to shoot yourself in the foot; get a hold on yourself and talk things over with a trusted person.

PISCES - Feb. 18-March 19 – Invite friends and siblings over for Sunday dinner; Venus promises convivial company. The Moon is in Pisces from 9:45 am Thursday till Saturday night. You enjoy a Thursday lunch with a sibling or neighbor. Talk things over with a mentor-type Thursday night. Friday morning has some temporary friction, but you are in a competitive state of mind. You might try a new way of getting work done Saturday.

Your Milky Way Horoscope Nov. 20-26, 2011

2011-11-13T19:39:00.000-08:00

By Milky Way Maid

The Sun in Scorpio squares Neptune at 28 degrees Aquarius at 3:42 pm Sunday. Hard aspects between Sun and Neptune generally make it difficult for us to see ourselves clearly; maybe we have some self-delusion we cling to and which leaves us vulnerable to unscrupulous sales people. So get a reality check before you write a check. With some of us, the Sun brings unwelcome publicity to things we would rather remained a deep, dark secret.

The Sun enters Sag at 11:08 am Tuesday. Happy birthday to all the little centaurs. Sun in Sag is optimistic (sometimes unrealistically so), has faith in the future, wants to be part of the big picture, and tends to inspire others with their optimism exuberance. Has the ability to be brilliant but rarely disciplines self long enough to really master anything. Loves the outdoors and the active life. This love of activity may also be expressed in careers in firefighting or other emergency services. Famous Centaurs include Mary Martin, Frank Sinatra, James Thurber, Walt Disney, Winston Churchill, Mark Twain, Joe DiMaggio, Charles de Gaulle, and siblings Caroline Kennedy and John F. Kennedy Jr.

Thanksgiving features a Scorpio moon for most of the day, presumably including sitting everyone down to the feast. Scorpio is most likely to actually host the family feast; the stuffing might include oysters, and the table have a crab salad. Scorpio lends a more spiritual mood to the day; we may be truly thankful to have everyone together. Black Friday features the Moon in Sag, appropriate for shoppers buying multiples of every item and probably overshooting their budgets.

However, bad news for merchants lies in the form of Mercury going retrograde early on Thursday (at 20 degrees of Sag). We usually enjoy a bit of boost from Mercury going direct sometime during the Christmas shopping season --- and that is not in evidence this year as least not until Mercury goes direct on the night of Dec. 13. Merchants will be frantic to get shoppers to actually part with some money; I see heavy price slashing throughout the period. I might mention that there is a grass-roots movement to make Sat., Nov. 26 a “Buy Local” event. See Facebook for details about that at: https://www.facebook.com/SmallBusinessSaturday?extlink=ps-gabmd-2011SBS-GoogleSearch

Venus in Sag sextiles Neptune at 28 degrees of Aquarius at 8:52 pm Thursday. We squint a bit at the ones we love and overlook their faults. Good for creativity and expressing universal ideals.

Venus is again active on Saturday night. She squares Uranus at zero degrees of Aries at 9:27 pm. I think I've warned you about the squares before. One can become entranced by foreigners or unusual people, generally to no avail as the parties repel each other as much as they attract each other. Any relationship is generally short-lived but enjoy it while it lasts, hon. And I speak from experience.

Venus enters hard-headed and practical Capricorn at 7:36 am Saturday. Venus in the sign of the goat is practical, a bit of social climber, and insists on quality goods. Can be very good at mastering etiquette at the highest levels of international protocol all the way down to the local club. Some have a gift for helping others see HOW to manifest their goals.

PS – I listed a few used astrology books for sale on Amazon Books; Part Two was posted July 1! **Includes a classic Alan Leo book** Look for reviews in my column with a link to the listing. Even more titles to come soon. Thanks for your support (and patience). Note that the Intuition book, listed in Part One, has sold.
ALSO – see my popular article on late degrees of all the signs. Link: http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2008/08/15/planets-in-late-degrees-what-do-they-mean/
ALSO – see new article on The Goddess Archetypes: The Pallas Athena Myth at http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/the-goddess-archetypes-the-pallas-athena-myth/
ALSO – check out Astrology.com -- free lessons online

Readers can follow not only their Sun sign horoscope but also the sign of their Ascendant for further clues to how your week will develop. Also note: some aspects are exact on a weekend but may find opportunity for expression on the Friday or Monday nearest the exact aspect. Times given are in Eastern Standard Time or Eastern Daylight Savings Time, depending on the season.

ARIES - March 20-April 19 - The solar eclipse in your solar ninth house may signal a long trip, or at least a breaking away from the mindset that you grew up with. Your consciousness may expand thru travel, reading, formal or informal study, or personal experiences. You may even have some kind of adventure, so keep a journal. The square to Mars may bring fevers, or new tools to use in your work. Mercury going retrograde in your solar ninth house may signal mixups in legal matters or having to redo everything with a new lawyer, book editor, or website.

TAURUS - April 20-May 20 - The solar eclipse in your solar eighth house accents your hidden talents as a practical alchemist, a healer, or a metaphysical master. You may help warring parties arrive at common values to heal their relationship. You may take up a sport, game or dancing. Mercury going retrograde in your solar eighth house may signal mixups in wills, joint accounts, or any pooled resources.

GEMINI - May 21-June 20 - The solar eclipse in your solar seventh house accents relationships and partnerships; the partner may be a foreigner or someone quite unusual. The importance of honoring commitments and contracts will be impressed on you, possibly in connection with work done on your home. Mercury going retrograde in your solar seventh house may signal mixups in public appearances or in communicating with your mate.

CANCER - June 21-July 22 – The solar eclipse in your solar sixth house activates your ability to help others realize a good mind-body balance. You may become more active, more outdoorsy, or even take a long trip. You may talk more about health matters, cars, sports, etc. Mercury going retrograde in your solar sixth house also accents the need to pay attention to health matters.

LEO - July 23-Aug. 22 – The solar eclipse in your solar fifth house accents your ability to teach people how to play, how to enjoy life, and how to express themselves creatively. At the same time you will need to avoid impulse spending that sabotages your budget. Mercury going retrograde in your solar fifth house may signal mixups in stage productions, having to start over with a creative project, or a child needing help in school.

VIRGO - Aug. 23-Sept. 22 – The Moon is in Virgo as the week begins, where it stays till Sunday night. Sunday morn you focus on feeling that your efforts are not appreciated, much less reciprocated. Instead, train loved ones to say thank you and please. The supper hour is very pleasant, possibly spent at a local restaurant. The solar eclipse in your solar fourth house activates your ability to help others get centered within themselves, the source of any real sense of security. You may also become much more focused on goals, like a samurai warrior. Mercury going retrograde in your solar fourth house may signal mixups with family members, or appliances going on the fritz.

LIBRA - Sept. 23-Oct. 22 – The Moon is in Libra from 8:16 pm Sun.-Tues. night. Do not let your mate get your goat Sunday night; he is unsettled from the Uranus transit. Instead, try to calm and assure him. Monday morning resolve to master yourself no matter what before going in to work. You really are your own master, and you serve whom you will. A sibling may compliment you Tuesday. You may have to work to keep your mood up at times, but Tuesday pm may present a happy surprise. Treat yourself to a movie that night, with popcorn. The solar eclipse in your third house helps you keep things circulating; you may start to convey information to others that they need to know. Mercury going retrograde in your solar third house may signal mixups in every kind of communication, especially with siblings.

SCORPIO - Oct. 23-Nov. 21 – The Moon is in Scorpio from 8:58 pm Tuesday till Thursday night. You may benefit from alternative medicine Tuesday night. Try not to go over the top about anything. A bit of friendly competition Wednesday morn gives you a boost. The holiday Thursday puts you in a spiritual mood. My only caveat is don't indulge in foods/drinks you know you are sensitive to, no matter how gorgeous they look. A solar eclipse in your second house of money helps you manifest what you want --- once you know what it is you want. Mercury going retrograde in your solar second house may signal errors in bank statements, or in balancing your account, or delays in crediting deposits.

SAGITTARIUS - Nov. 22-Dec. 21 – The Moon is in Sag from 8:57 pm Thursday till Saturday night. You get a burst of that “Born to be Wild” energy Thursday night. You benefit from a New Moon at 2 degrees Sag at 1:10 am Friday. This is a Solar Eclipse, so note developments in the next several months, especially in relation to your search for truth. The eclipse features a square to Mars (you are forced to act, possibly in an aggressive manner) and a trine to Uranus (breaking free from societal boundaries).

CAPRICORN - Dec. 22-Jan. 19 – The Moon is in Capricorn from 10:05 pm Saturday thru the weekend. The solar eclipse in your solar twelfth house helps you let go of trying to control the minutiae of others' lives. You learn to listen to that quiet inner voice and achieve a measure of serenity. You may be forced to it, though, if your demands on others lead them to excommunicate you from their lives. You may take a crash course in something, or devour every book on a topic in your desire to know everything about it. Mercury going retrograde in your solar twelfth house may signal that it is you who shoots yourself in the foot with misstatements and errors in calculation.

AQUARIUS - Jan. 20-Feb. 17 - The solar eclipse in your solar eleventh house may activate involvement in humanitarian organizations, as you help others realize their hopes for a better life. You can inspire, and your own efforts prod others to join in. You may be thrust into emergency situations and find out what you're made of --- and arriving at a renewed passion for life. Mercury going retrograde in your solar eleventh house may signal mixups re club meetings, lost minutes of prior meetings, or friends who have to cancel out of gatherings.

PISCES - Feb. 18-March 19 - The solar eclipse in your solar tenth house may activate involvement in community affairs ranging from the PTA to politics to the church to activism. Your inner rebel finds an outlet, but hopefully not in the form of tossing out your mate or other loved ones. Mercury going retrograde in your solar tenth house may signal mixups in career stuff like interviews that go badly, or glowing promises that are not carried out.

Your Milky Way Horoscope Nov. 13-19, 2011

2011-11-06T16:39:00.000-08:00

By Milky Way Maid

Mars in Virgo trines Jupiter at 2 degrees Taurus at 5:08 pm Wednesday. Mars-Jupiter aspects involve not only luck in sports but risk-taking in any field. If you have natal planets at two degrees of earth signs or water signs, you may feel like you are on a roll.

With very little non-lunar aspects this week, let's look at Thursday's Moon in Leo trine to Mercury in Sag at 7:08 pm, followed by the Moon-Venus trine at 10:59 pm. Trines in fire signs generally favor brainstorming for ideas, so get a couple people together for a bit of a rap session. If you have natal planets in 16-19 degrees of fire signs, definitely keep a notepad handy for recording stray (brilliant) thoughts.

PS – I listed a few used astrology books for sale on Amazon Books; Part Two was posted July 1! **Includes a classic Alan Leo book** Look for reviews in my column with a link to the listing. Even more titles to come soon. Thanks for your support (and patience). Note that the Intuition book, listed in Part One, has sold.

ALSO – see my popular article on late degrees of all the signs. Link: http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2008/08/15/planets-in-late-degrees-what-do-they-mean/
ALSO – see new article on The Goddess Archetypes: The Pallas Athena Myth at http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/the-goddess-archetypes-the-pallas-athena-myth/
ALSO – check out Astrology.com -- free lessons online

Readers can follow not only their Sun sign horoscope but also the sign of their Ascendant for further clues to how your week will develop. Also note: some aspects are exact on a weekend but may find opportunity for expression on the Friday or Monday nearest the exact aspect. Times given are in Eastern Standard or Eastern Daylight Savings Time depending on the season.

ARIES - March 20-April 19 – Your Sundays are usually more active, but this week, sitting down to the computer promises inspiration and solid advice online. Deal with Monday-morning friction with humor and hugs. Wednesday favors lunch with a kindred spirit. Fire sign alert: Thursday may be your best day, for ideating at least, so keep a notepad handy to record stray thoughts. Friday night might not find a good audience for your warped humor, so save it for those who know and love you.

TAURUS - April 20-May 20 – Work, career and money will be on your mind Sunday, but you can crunch the numbers to get a better handle on the near future. Monday morning you feel a bit competitive. Your mate treats you to a lovely night on the town Tuesday. April Taureans may latch onto a profitable risk-reward scenario Wednesday pm. Thursday, your mate may agree to spend a little on sprucing up the home --- but may take it back Friday. Friday evening favors creativity or having the kids over, or both.

GEMINI - May 21-June 20 – The week begins with the Moon in Gemini, but only till the wee hours of Monday. You might actually enjoy your work Sunday afternoon, or perhaps spending time with an older person would be good. (Caution: visits with older persons might come with a free guilt trip, but you prefer to earn your fare, anyway.) Sunday night is made for movies, perhaps something inspiring like “Gandhi.”

CANCER - June 21-July 22 – The Moon is in its home, Cancer, from 2:19 am Monday till midday Wednesday. Early Monday may provide a bit of friction with an erratic boss.. But the morning proceeds fairly smoothly. Tuesday calls for making adjustments or playing catch-up, but late evening favors a special date. Thoughts about money may dominate Wednesday, but good ideas on how to increase your supply of it may not arrive till Thursday night. Good times with friends are promised for Friday night.

LEO - July 23-Aug. 22 – The Moon is in Leo from 11:17 am Wednesday till Friday night. You get laughing over lunch Wednesday with an Aries colleague. The afternoon says hard work called for, but you will be ready to relax in the evening with good food. Thursday may be your best day with a trine to Mercury and Venus in Sag; sounds like a fun day plus keep a notepad handy for stray thoughts. Possible friction ahead for Friday morning, although your charm usually defuses things.

VIRGO - Aug. 23-Sept. 22 – On Monday morning, resolve to make your criticisms in a constructive manner, and even friends will remain friends. Late Tuesday may find you playing arbiter or even matchmaker. The Moon is in Virgo from 5:19 pm Friday through most of the weekend. Be on your toes for a change of plans Friday night, but if one of the options features a foreign cuisine restaurant, go for it. Early risers on Saturday will be able to get control over some organizational problem.

LIBRA - Sept. 23-Oct. 22 – Best day this week is definitely Sunday; gather some bright people around you for an informal brainstorming session. Early Friday, a friend may call for a bit of advice, which you of course will gladly provide. Friday night, a bit of creativity may be involved to improve your financial position. Tap your many talents for that; a Taurus may “produce” your one-person show.

SCORPIO - Oct. 23-Nov. 21 – Monday morn is ideal for picking apart the club records, just remember to give your report in a constructive manner. Tuesday night promises harmonious times, possibly with a new prospect. Wednesday pm may be stressful, but you are able to produce more, and better, work than you ever imagined. Invite a friend to dinner Wednesday for a stimulating evening. A sales talk might be favored for Thursday night. Friday night favors taking your amazing spouse along to your club's meeting or special event.

SAGITTARIUS - Nov. 22-Dec. 21 – Consult with a friend, or a friend of your spouse, for good advice on Sunday afternoon. I see a pub crawl on Sunday night with your mate. Tuesday morning feels awkward, but talking over finances with your mate can be constructive. If you have natal planets in 16-19 degrees of fire signs, definitely keep a notepad handy for recording stray (brilliant) thoughts on Thursday night.

CAPRICORN - Dec. 22-Jan. 19 – Monday morn may find you in the public eye, in a good way, so by all means accept that invitation to speak. Late Tuesday favors an enjoyable time by the water. What do you want to produce? Keep that question in mind Friday night because you may finally be able to bring together a group that can bring it into reality. Saturday morn, you decide to take control of some area of your life for good.

AQUARIUS - Jan. 20-Feb. 17 – Sunday might be your best day for ideating, altho some of it may be purest wishful thinking. But castles were meant to be built in the air, as long as you build a foundation under them. On Thursday night, your club meeting may especially constructive of creative ideas for community involvement, so pipe up with your inputs. Friday morn may stressful in dealing with both spouse and work demands, and you can't clone yourself. Make a deal with your mate, promising quality time on another date.

PISCES - Feb. 18-March 19 – The Moon in compatible Cancer on Monday favors dealing with an advocate or lawyer who will do your fighting for you. A good time is had by all Tuesday night. Your mate is willing to try a new restaurant Wednesday. Feelings are wounded Friday night, but try to dwell less on self and more on what you can do to change things. Saturday can be productive especially if you can get a friend to pitch in, too.

Your Milky Way Horoscope Nov. 6-12, 2011

2011-11-02T16:40:00.000-07:00

By Milky Way Maid

Mars in Leo opposes Neptune in Aquarius at 7:34 am Monday. Miscues, deceit, anger and resentment may be on the agenda Monday morning; check out people you do not know before doing any business with them, and be aware that a bit of hokum lies underneath most sales spiels. In a communications house, errors or lack of clarity are apt to occur, so have someone read your very important letters before they go out. You may feel discouraged, and the physical body's resistance is at low ebb. Baby yourself, baby.

Neptune at 28 degrees of Aquarius has its Direct Station on Wednesday at 1:54 pm. It is said to a be a great opportunity for psychic contact, contacting those that have passed on, trying ESP experiments, perform a candle ritual, and the like. Use a Moon hour. You might try incubating a dream, if none of the above interests you.
A New Moon at 18 degrees Taurus occurs Thursday at 3:16 am. It is accompanied by the Moon inconjunct Mercury and Venus in Sag, which may express as health problems involving the ears (or other sense organs), skin rashes (Venus), or problems with the liver or hip joint (Sag). This NM will be uncomfortable but if we are able to make a mental and emotional adjustment, we can move forward successfully. Learning to value ourselves and working for a just society express the energies of Taurus and Sag together.

Mars enters Virgo at 11:15 pm Thursday. Mars in Virgo is too quick to criticize and judge, eager to prove others wrong. On the plus side, Mars here excels at helping others to straighten out their lives, or impose a sense of order to a chaotic office. You are not distracted by emotional considerations. Use your great sense of service to improve others' lives. Famous people with Mars in Virgo include Alexander the Great, Fidel Castro, Geraldine Chaplin and Dr. Benjamin Spock.

Mars in Virgo opposes Chiron in Pisces at 5:57 am Saturday. You are able to take an especially cool detachment when analyzing a health problem for yourself or others.
Mars in Virgo is inconjunct Uranus in Aries at 8:41 am Saturday.

PS – I listed a few used astrology books for sale on Amazon Books; Part Two was posted July 1! **Includes a classic Alan Leo book** Look for reviews in my column with a link to the listing. Even more titles to come soon. Thanks for your support (and patience). Note that the Intuition book, listed in Part One, has sold.

ALSO – see my popular article on late degrees of all the signs. Link: http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2008/08/15/planets-in-late-degrees-what-do-they-mean/
ALSO – see new article on The Goddess Archetypes: The Pallas Athena Myth at http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/the-goddess-archetypes-the-pallas-athena-myth/
ALSO – check out Astrology.com -- free lessons online

Readers can follow not only their Sun sign horoscope but also the sign of their Ascendant for further clues to how your week will develop. Also note: some aspects are exact on a weekend but may find opportunity for expression on the Friday or Monday nearest the exact aspect. Times given are in Eastern Standard or Eastern Daylight Savings Time depending on the season.

ARIES - March 20-April 19 – The Moon is in Aries from 2:02 pm Sunday till very early Wednesday. The Moon-Uranus conjunction about 4 pm can find you very upset about something or someone; let it slide off your shoulders as you walk away. Miscues, deceit, anger and resentment may be on the agenda Monday morning. Also take care of your physical body to avoid feeling depleted. Tuesday is much better; you can get lots done early, and make time to play late. Thursday's New Moon in Taurus accents your second house of money; you may have to alter your attitudes about investing funds in your own education, for example.

TAURUS - April 20-May 20 – The Moon is in Taurus from 2:45 am Wednesday till Friday afternoon. The Moon is conjunct Jupiter about 10 am Wednesday; try not to overdo, but do express your optimism and can-do attitude. You may get in touch with a very powerful advocate (legal or otherwise) the same day. A New Moon Thursday at 18 degrees Taurus may perk up your month; a sextile to Ceres in Pisces hints at helpful friends. Things may turn around in the work world, with a sudden influx of extra work coming in to keep you busy – provided that you do some attitude adjustment.

GEMINI - May 21-June 20 – Neptune stations in your solar ninth house; anything fishy in legal matters will get smoked out. The Moon is in Gemini from 3:10 pm Friday thru almost the whole weekend. Friday may be marked by rushing to get something done only to find that the specs are wrong; verify details before plunging in. Friday night, however, sparkles with good times with an amusing friend. Saturday, you may be self-absorbed, dwelling on how your needs are not met by significant others; it may help to talk things out instead of moping.

CANCER - June 21-July 22 – Career and work go well on Monday, especially in sales or other presentations. Thursday's New Moon in Taurus accents your eleventh house of friends and hopes/dreams; you may have to change your attitudes about health and work. Perhaps you need to take better care of the physical body, or stoop to doing a more physical type job.

LEO - July 23-Aug. 22 – Neptune stations in your solar seventh house; anything less than aboveboard in your dealing with your mate will be found out. Thursday's New Moon in Taurus accents your tenth house of career. You may have to change your attitudes about the validity of the arts as a career, or refrain from dictating what kind of career your children go into. Mars enters your solar second house; be eagle-eyed about watching commission fees and interest rates affecting your money. Midday Friday your mate may feel neglected due to the fact you seem more “married” to your career, so spend some quality time together this weekend; Saturday afternoon is ideal for playfulness and sweet nothings.

VIRGO - Aug. 23-Sept. 22 - Thursday's New Moon in Taurus accents your ninth house of law, publishing, religion and college. You may have to change your attitudes or values about family members who are in any of these fields, or change your reluctance to seek advice from them. Also on Thursday Mars enters your sun sign; try to guard against criticizing others, but do offer your energy to local service groups. On Friday, you might be called on to help meet a deadline or straighten out snafus.

LIBRA - Sept. 23-Oct. 22 – Monday can be quite fun for short trips with your S.O. or to meet-n-greet the public. Neptune stations Wednesday in your solar fifth house; it's good for artistic efforts but bad for meeting deceptive new beaux. Thursday's New Moon in Taurus accents your eighth house of pooled resources, which includes marital accounts, insurance, and estates. You may have to change your reluctance to talk about these subjects; share your feelings and doubts with your partner.

SCORPIO - Oct. 23-Nov. 21 – Beware of water damage to your home on Wednesday, when Neptune stations in your solar fourth house. Thursday's New Moon in Taurus accents your seventh house of partners and the public. You may be pushed before the public eye, tho you much prefer your privacy. You may have to get used to the idea of talking or writing for a living, perhaps changing how you earn your money. Once you get over a mental or emotional block, things could open up for you.

SAGITTARIUS - Nov. 22-Dec. 21 – Best day may be Monday when most fire signs have a fine early morn for cheering everyone up. On Wednesday, Neptune stations in your solar third house of communications. Let your antivirus program scan your computer and flash drives to guard against malware. Thursday's New Moon in Taurus accents your sixth house of health and work; you may be forced to stop being so cavalier about your health. Maybe you have a hard time picturing yourself in a certain job, but you might be rather good at it.

CAPRICORN - Dec. 22-Jan. 19 – It might not be wise to invite a guest to Sunday dinner; things are apt to go wrong or conversation takes an upsetting turn. Early Monday is a very active time for you. Be especially skeptical of pie-in-the-sky sales pitches on Wednesday because they will sound so good. Thursday's New Moon in Taurus accents your fifth house of fun, romance and creative pursuits. You may have to change your attitude about privacy, or about your cabin retreat. The cabin might be a great place to experiment with creative media, or you might attend a writers retreat with positive results.

AQUARIUS - Jan. 20-Feb. 17 – Sunday afternoon communications may take an upsetting turn, or you may latch onto surprising news. Midweek you may have a clearer idea of how you might make the world a better place. Thursday's New Moon in Taurus accents your fourth house of home and family. There may be some changes in this area of your life, maybe you have to get used to the fact that housing circumstances are different now. Maybe a big house is no longer important to you, with an increasing desire for a shorter commute perhaps.

PISCES - Feb. 18-March 19 – Sunday presents financial surprises. The Moon is in Pisces at the very beginning of the week, but only till about 2 pm Sunday. Moon is inconjunct Mars about 9 am; you may have to force yourself to do your normal exercise routine. Also sports teams you had sneered at may earn your respect. Thursday's New Moon in Taurus accents your solar third house of communications; some attitude adjustment regarding career issues, or how to deal with the boss, may be needed.

Your Milky Way Horoscope Oct. 30-Nov. 5, 2011

2011-10-23T12:25:00.000-07:00

By Milky Way Maid

Venus in Scorpio squares Neptune at 28 degrees Aquarius at 5:19 pm Monday. Venus adversely aspecting Neptune can represent the “in love with love” frame of mind, the kind that thinks he and she are another Romeo and Juliet and no one understands that they just love each other and everything will be alright if they just let them be. Never mind that Romeo is a false beau and runs off with another woman or with her money, and no amount of saying “I told you so” will help matters.
Mercury squares Neptune at 4:37 am Tuesday; this is very much like the above except that one's reasoning processes are confused. Errors in bookkeeping or other paperwork can crop up, and even if you know that your investment returns are not what they should be, you just can't think what you should do; if you have a fallback strategy then go with that (ex: putting funds in a money-market account). Refrain from making major decisions or signing contracts.
Venus enters happy-go-lucky Sag at 4:51 am Wednesday. I can just see ever-hopeful Sag waking up Wednesday morning and looking out the window expecting the streets to be paved with gold. Venus in Sag is not the tenderest or most loyal beau. Venus here won't sacrifice itself for love. This Venus hates to be tied down so do not look for commitment. Celebs with Venus in Sag include Joan Baez, Jane Fonda, Cary Grant, Johnny Carson, and Romy Schneider.
Mercury also enters Sag the same day, at 12:54 pm. Mercury in Sag is in its detriment, since it is opposite its home in Gemini. What does that mean, on a practical level? Mercury in Sag can be brilliant, but generally it cannot concentrate deeply on a subject any length of time. Ideas may be disconnected – people may even think you are spacey or have attention-deficit disorder. Mercury in Sag most often denotes people who say things off the top of their heads without considering their effect. Celebs with Mercury in Sag include singer Frank Sinatra, writer Rudyard Kipling, Marie Antoinette, saint Joan of Arc, actress Patty Duke, and songwriter Jule Styne.
Venus and Mercury square Chiron in Pisces on Wednesday night. I would say that it might not be a favorable day for an appointment; Mercury is not strong here and errors may crop up.
Venus and Mercury square Uranus at zero degrees of Aries at 3:54 am and 9:58 am Thursday, respectively. Venus square Uranus can coincide with a sudden attraction to unusual or foreign people, but it generally does not last very long. With Mercury, the mind may race so fast that sloppy work is the result. Best not to make financial decisions or moves today. You may be jittery, impulsive, even accident-prone. Heads up when driving!
Venus and Mercury are inconjunct Jupiter at one degree of Taurus at 2:52 and 5:13 pm Saturday, respectively. If you made notes to self on Thursday of your thoughts and calculations, now is a good time to go over them with a fine-tooth comb and check for errors. Then try to figure out what you need to do to get back to profitability or sound business practices. Establish stop-loss levels on investments, set up a personal or business accounting system, and so forth.
While Halloween is traditionally a time when the veil between the temporal and spiritual worlds thins, there may be an even better time to contact someone on the other side in November. Looking ahead in the ephemeris, Neptune is stationary direct at 28 degrees of Aquarius at 1:54 pm Wed., Nov. 9. A Neptune station is supposed to favor anything in the spiritual realm; also you might cocoon yourself with a stack of movie DVDs and live in a make-believe world for a few hours.
PS – I listed a few used astrology books for sale on Amazon Books (under seller name lauraalthea); Part Two was posted July 1! **Includes a classic Alan Leo book** Look for reviews in my column with a link to the listing. Even more titles to come soon. Thanks for your support (and patience). Note that the Intuition book, listed in Part One, has sold.
ALSO – see my popular article on late degrees of all the signs. Link: http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2008/08/15/planets-in-late-degrees-what-do-they-mean/
ALSO – see new article on The Goddess Archetypes: The Pallas Athena Myth at http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/the-goddess-archetypes-the-pallas-athena-myth/
ALSO – check out Astrology.com -- free lessons online

Readers can follow not only their Sun sign horoscope but also the sign of their Ascendant for further clues to how your week will develop. Also note: some aspects are exact on a weekend but may find opportunity for expression on the Friday or Monday nearest the exact aspect. Times given are in Eastern Standard or Eastern Daylight Savings Time depending on the season.

ARIES - March 20-April 19 – The early part of the week may be happiest for you, with the Moon in compatible Sag. Uranus in your sign is getting some subtle transits this week. Juno entering Scorpio activates joint accounts, possibly bringing to light items that you did not know you two had. Pallas entering Aquarius signals meeting a professional person or consultant through a friend. BTW Jupiter in your solar second house of money benefits from a trine to Pluto; influential people at work can help you obtain lucrative assignments.

TAURUS - April 20-May 20 – Sunday night is prime for boon companions or entertaining associates. On Monday, your mate may look at you with a dreamy look in the eye; try not to pop his bubble. Late afternoon on Thursday may be stressful, with you caught in between family and work obligations. Saturday morn favors an outing with other couples or with that club you belong to. In the afternoon, you may have to improvise for mutual benefit.

GEMINI - May 21-June 20 – Mercury and Venus enter your opposite sign this week, so it is possible that you or your mate may be in the public eye or take a higher profile in the month to come. This month Pallas enters your solar ninth house, Aquarius, where a new lawyer or consultant can shake the trees effectively on your behalf. Your spouse (Juno entering Scorpio) may be instrumental in helping you with work or with selling your craft items, or you may start a business together.

CANCER - June 21-July 22 – I am sorry to say that the long-term transit of Uranus in your solar tenth house of career may mean intermittent or temporary work assignments. However, if you are in electronics, psychology, or other unusual fields, this transit is perfect. Another hard transit has been Saturn in your solar fourth house of beloved home and family. Working long hours and not spending as much time as you'd like at home? Or downsizing to a condo/apt., or caring for extended family? Just one more year and then Saturn will decamp from that sector, then the home will seem more spacious and your family burdens lighter. Be brave.

LEO - July 23-Aug. 22 – Mercury and Venus enter compatible Sag this week, favoring fun times with children, attending entertainment events, or expressing your creative talents. Take a class or play with paints on your own. The Moon in opposing Aquarius (Wed-Thurs) may find you in the public eye in some way; get ready for your closeups. Even your mate might not hang out at home, preferring her moment in the sun, too. Let's not hog the spotlight, Leo, there is light enough to shine on all.

VIRGO - Aug. 23-Sept. 22 – A sibling or other relative may play matchmaker for you, possibly fixing you up with a wonderfully sympathetic and giving person. A male relative may be what you need to convert your hobby into a sideline business. Venus and Mercury enter your solar fourth house, where you may enjoy hosting a foreign-exchange student or just your children's friends. Owning your own emotions, anger included, will defuse explosive situations.

LIBRA - Sept. 23-Oct. 22 – Your Halloween costume this year may be a work uniform of some kind, possibly a nurse. Venus and Mercury enter your solar third house of relatives this week; you may enjoy getting acquainted with young, multi-talented nieces and nephews. Your romantic life may suddenly blossom with fascinating lawyers or consultant types, and perhaps one of them is just what you need to resolve a difficult situation.

SCORPIO - Oct. 23-Nov. 21 – On Monday afternoon, Venus in your sign wishes everyone would do the right thing, but this is real life. Still, you might try to get the city/county/whatever to do their duty. Early Tuesday morning, Mercury in your sign gets confusing signals from Neptune; make sure you are really awake before your commute, and confirm appointments before setting out. Late in the week a certain loss of privacy may be distressing, or stimulating; you decide. Saturday morn looks wonderful for fun, romance, or time with the kids.

SAGITTARIUS - Nov. 22-Dec. 21 – The Moon is in Sag as the week begins, but only till midday Sunday. The Moon sextiles spiritual Neptune at 9:30 am, putting one in a receptive frame of mind for religious services or charitable work. Mercury and Venus enter your sign, favoring a visit to the salon and possibly an accountant. Ceres has been in your solar fourth house of home since August and will remain there thru the year; possibly you have been beavering away growing your own food or stashing supplies.

CAPRICORN - Dec. 22-Jan. 19 – The Moon is in Capricorn from 12:39 pm Sunday till Tuesday night (this includes Halloween). The afternoon could be upsetting with a square to Uranus; try not to take stuff personally. A nice trine to Jupiter lights up Sunday night so by all means entertain guests or go out on a date. The early morning of Tuesday could be discouraging, or you may have a lot of work to get done that day, so organize as much as you can the night before for a productive day. Looks good by afternoon, so you can do it.

AQUARIUS - Jan. 20-Feb. 17 – The Moon is in Aquarius from 6:08 pm Tuesday till early Friday. Tuesday evening favors comedy; see a funny movie or have friends over. Wednesday can be stressful and contentious; try to stay focused on goals not personalities. You can accomplish a great deal on Thursday, and may even get that pat on the back. Unwind that night with a movie or with a possibly with your study group.

PISCES - Feb. 18-March 19 – The Moon is in Pisces from 3:18 am Friday till next Sunday afternoon. Friday morning might be stressful trying to figure out where your money went; keep your receipts to track spending. Lunch hour favors time spent with a wonderful, buoyant, optimistic relative. The afternoon favors a meeting with influential friends or organizations; see if your idea gathers any support for a group effort.

Your Milky Way Horoscope Oct. 23-29, 2011

2011-10-16T13:14:00.000-07:00

By Milky Way Maid

The Sun enters intense Scorpio at 2:30 pm, Sunday, Oct. 23. Scorpio is supposedly the sexiest sign, but that news may surprise some Scorpio natives. May not be attractive in the conventional sense, but their intensity and magnetism can draw members of the opposite sex to them. Scorpio may be either the noble eagle or the lower scorpion/snake type; you will probably know which one your Scorpio friend is. The eagle type can be very Aquarian in the sense that they are dedicated to the advancement of the whole human race. The lower type can be jealous or vengeful, or try to dominate others. Scorpios make excellent detectives, spies, researchers, doctors and surgeons, prosecutors, and artists. Famous people with the Sun in Scorpio include Picasso, Robert Louis Stevenson, Marie Antoinette, Martin Luther, Bobby Kennedy, Marie Curie, Richard Burton, Billy Graham, Jonas Salk, Prince Charles, and Felix Frankfurter. Happy birthday to all Scorpios this month.

The Sun trines Chiron in Pisces on Monday at 9:37 am. Your new practitioner may be able to diagnose the exact problem and address its causes. Since Chiron will be in the solar fifth house of Pisces (in the Midwestern New Moon chart), there is some chance of injury to the feet, possibly while dancing, and that this injury causes you to visit a new doc, therapist, or natural healer.

The October New Moon occurs on 3 degrees, 3 minutes of Scorpio at 3:56 pm Wednesday. (The Part of Fortune is at 10 degrees Aquarius, right on the ascendant in a Midwestern chart; also, Vesta is at 11 degrees Aquarius. It says, whatever you need is right there where you are.) The New Moon features: Mars in Leo sextiles Saturn at 21 degrees of Libra at 5:37 am Wed. This aspect favors getting really, really organized, accomplishing one's mission, and may involve the military. Good for detailed work in metal or stone, or any sustained effort. Venus in Scorpio squares Mars at 22 degrees of Leo at 6:23 pm Wednesday. We may have arguments with loved ones, yet with Venus softening our hearts, we retain a sense of fair play and courtesy – we play by the rules. Relationships begun now are likely to fade after the initial physical attraction fades.

Mercury in the New Moon's ninth house of national news is conjunct Venus, and square Mars; the military will be in the news, possibly inre appropriations voted on by Congress. Sun-Moon are in the Scorpion's eighth house but because they are in early degrees, they want to be in the ninth house with the rest of the sign – joining Mercury and Venus. National news is going to be very big that day so stay tuned to your favorite news source.

Mercury in Scorpio squares Mars at 23 degrees of Leo at 11:08 am Friday. Mercury square Mars tends to cause argument, although arguing can be done constructively in the form of debate or other rational discussion. With fixed signs here, it is not likely that anyone's mind is going to be changed quickly, so maybe you should just agree to differ and move on to other topics. You may be irritable and cranky, impatient enough to jump a green light and cause an accident, so use extra care. This aspect can also make for exciting athletic contests, ones that feature fast hand- or foot-work, passing the ball, or where deception may be useful.

Jupiter in Taurus trines Pluto at 5 degrees of Capricorn at 12:29 pm Friday. Big Business (Pluto in Capricorn) has a good week. Individuals may overdo and have to pay the consequences.

The Sun in Scorpio opposes Jupiter at 5 degrees Taurus and sextiles Pluto at 9:42 pm and 11:11 pm Friday, respectively. Individuals may overdo and have to pay the consequences.

NOTE: In several entries below I refer to events in possibly two months' time; this involves fixed signs so I know it probably will not happen in days or weeks – but there is a chance that it may take 2-4 months, or even two years to play out. I hope not!

PS – I listed a few used astrology books for sale on Amazon Books; Part Two was posted July 1! **Includes a classic Alan Leo book** Look for reviews in my column with a link to the listing. Even more titles to come soon. Thanks for your support (and patience). Note that the Intuition book, listed in Part One, has sold.
ALSO – see my popular article on late degrees of all the signs. Link: http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2008/08/15/planets-in-late-degrees-what-do-they-mean/
ALSO – see new article on The Goddess Archetypes: The Pallas Athena Myth at http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/the-goddess-archetypes-the-pallas-athena-myth/
ALSO – check out Astrology.com -- free lessons online

Readers can follow not only their Sun sign horoscope but also the sign of their Ascendant for further clues to how your week will develop. Also note: some aspects are exact on a weekend but may find opportunity for expression on the Friday or Monday nearest the exact aspect. Times given are in Eastern Standard or Eastern Daylight Savings Time depending on the season.

ARIES - March 20-April 19 – Wednesday's New Moon (plus Juno) is inconjunct Uranus in your sign; you may make sudden changes, possibly including getting married or separating. A friend who is a lawyer or advocate may have some sharp insights into you or a problem you are having. Legal arguments may bear fruit. With the North Node transiting your solar ninth house and Mars in your solar fifth house, sports, law and national politics may be good fields for you to be involved in.

TAURUS - April 20-May 20 – Wednesday's New Moon in your solar seventh house could signal a strong attraction to someone new, but physical attraction can fade quickly. Existing relationships will be stressed by Mars in Leo squaring your natal planets. You need some outlet for your physical energy so you might put your garden to bed for the winter, or chop some wood for the fireplace. Juno moves into your opposite sign this month; unmarried Taureans may finally tie the knot. Jupiter will be in your sign till June of 2012; Jove may expand your waistline when you ought to let him expand your horizons. Jove is also protective but buckle your seatbelt anyway.

GEMINI - May 21-June 20 – The Mars-Saturn sextile on Wednesday favors detailed work in metal or stone, so jewelers and sculptors will find this day very productive. Wednesday's New Moon (plus Juno) is inconjunct your sun sign, which suggests to me that you or your friends might make some adjustments in your/their marital status one way or the other. You may have to put up a friend who has been thrown out by his spouse. Improvise. With the South Node well into your sign now, you would do well to adhere to healthy living and protect your health. Get adequate rest. You may even have to eat your vegetables!

CANCER - June 21-July 22 - The New Moon (plus Juno) is in harmonious aspect to your sun sign. Matters involving children and creative pursuits are accented, perhaps with a child announcing an engagement (which stands a 50-50 chance of being called off before the nuptials). With Chiron entering your solar fifth house, you would do well to be aware of best practices in handling toxic craft supplies. If you do oil painting, for example, it is well to have a well-ventilated work space.

LEO - July 23-Aug. 22 – Mars in your sign sextiles Saturn on Wednesday morning, which favors getting REALLY organized! You've no idea how much you can get done if you got organized; you might take over the company or at least be in control of your own life. (baby steps, baby steps) Venus squares transiting Mars the same day, a reminder to fight fair. Mercury squares your Mars on Friday, possibly making you impatient and accident-prone. All this Mars energy this week needs to be burned off in some athletic outlet.

VIRGO - Aug. 23-Sept. 22 – The Moon is in Virgo as the week begins, till midday Monday. The Moon sextiles Venus in Scorpio, your solar third house, on Sunday afternoon. You might spend a pleasant afternoon with siblings, other relatives, or neighbors. Accept that invite to dinner. Wednesday's New Moon (plus Juno) is in compatible Scorpio on Wednesday; take care to get debt under control, and keep your temper under wraps.

LIBRA - Sept. 23-Oct. 22 – The Moon is in Libra from 11:49 am Monday till midday Wednesday. The Moon opposes Uranus in Aries about 2 pm Monday; a partner may want to breakup or toss some other upsetting thing your way, but try to stay cool and talk things out. Changes of plan are not unusual, really, so just pick up a phone and notify others who are affected. The Moon-Neptune trine Wednesday morning can make you daydream but is nice for random acts of kindness. Wednesday's New Moon (plus Juno) is in your solar second house of money; avoid loaning money to friends. There may be surprising news regarding the in-laws. An insurance or other payoff looms in possibly two months.

SCORPIO - Oct. 23-Nov. 21 –The Sun in your sign trines Chiron in Pisces on Monday morning; see a practitioner for any nagging problems or new injury. The Moon is in Scorpio from 11:08 am Wednesday till late a.m. on Friday. Wednesday's New Moon is significant for Scorpios with birthdays in October especially if they work for the government or in the military; see notes above. Thursday can be frustrating as you argue with a boss or coworker; you may talk about fair play and human values to him, possibly to no avail. There may be confusion at home Friday morning when trying to get ready for work, so look alive and check the settings on appliances.

SAGITTARIUS - Nov. 22-Dec. 21 – With a New Moon in your twelfth house, changes and events may be hidden from you; some changes may affect people around you but not you directly. Mars, which is transiting your solar fifth house of romance is activated this week by aspects. Fight fair with the object of your desire, and talk things over calmly. The Moon is in Sag from 10:45 am Friday till midday next Sunday. Sag's who spend the day at home Friday may wind up with an injury, probably nothing serious but you know how the home is the most dangerous place to be. Friday afternoon favors the arts, recreation and spending time with the kids. Saturday is best used for chores, such as putting away the patio furniture for winter.

CAPRICORN - Dec. 22-Jan. 19 - Wednesday's New Moon (plus Juno) is in your solar eleventh house of friends and hopes; a friend may suddenly take a bigger role in your romantic life, although for the short term. Do not lend money to any (nor to a counselor or lawyer) at this time, because it is a good way to lose both. In about two months you may have several romantic partners to choose from, so don't lock yourself down now. Chiron moves into your solar third house which signals the need for protective gloves wherever needed. Figure out ways to avoid repetitive motion injuries.

AQUARIUS - Jan. 20-Feb. 17 - Wednesday's New Moon (plus Juno) is in your solar tenth house of career; give a new venture a chance to gel, because in possibly two months' time, it will blossom into quite a good deal. Right now you can best benefit by using your hands in creative or service work. Chiron moves into your second house of money for the next seven years or so, so pay attention to budgeting and paying bills on time. Juno enters your solar tenth house of career; you and a spouse may eventually open a business together.

PISCES - Feb. 18-March 19 - Wednesday's New Moon (plus Juno) is in your solar ninth house of law, publishing and college; a legal matter could be resolved in your favor in about two months, so do not settle too quickly for a low offer. Chiron in your sign trines Juno, so your spouse may be the healer you need. In fact, Chiron moves into Pisces for the next seven years or so, so make sure to wear any protective gear required for a sport or occupation and make a habit of that.

Your Milky Way Horoscope Oct. 16-22, 2011

2011-10-09T14:44:00.000-07:00

By Milky Way Maid

Mercury in Scorpio sextiles Pluto at 5 degrees Capricorn at 12:58 pm Sunday. Ideal for settling in with a good mystery novel, writing one of your own, or tackling some mystery in your own life. Dig thru the business receipts to make sure they add up right, audit the books, check up on those in your employ.
Mercury in Scorpio opposes Jupiter at 6 (almost 7) degrees Taurus at 2:55 pm Monday. Jupiter is the higher octave of Mercury in terms of knowledge or education; you may be drawn to enroll in a college course, join a seminar, or even teach.
The Sun in Libra trines Neptune at 28 degrees Aquarius at 7:57 pm Friday. Feel like slipping and hiding for a while? Neptune can indicate holidays and vacations, times when you leave behind all your cares and chores and just float in a pool, etc. Or, with autumn nipping the air, taking a drive up to the country to see the fall colors. Also, a great time to come up with your Halloween costume; great disguises beckon.
PS – I listed a few used astrology books for sale on Amazon Books; Part Two was posted July 1. **Includes a classic Alan Leo book** Look for reviews in my column with a link to the listing. Even more titles to come soon. Thanks for your support (and patience). Note that the Intuition book, listed in Part One, has sold.
ALSO – see my popular article on late degrees of all the signs. Link: http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2008/08/15/planets-in-late-degrees-what-do-they-mean/
ALSO – see new article on The Goddess Archetypes: The Pallas Athena Myth at http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/the-goddess-archetypes-the-pallas-athena-myth/
ALSO – check out Astrology.com -- free lessons online

Readers can follow not only their Sun sign horoscope but also the sign of their Ascendant for further clues to how your week will develop. Also note: some aspects are exact on a weekend but may find opportunity for expression on the Friday or Monday nearest the exact aspect. Times given are in Eastern Standard or Eastern Daylight Savings Time depending on the season.

ARIES - March 20-April 19 – Your heart is centered on home and family life from Monday night till Thursday morn; Tuesday is most favorable. You may upset others without realizing it Thursday morn so apply your best manners to every situation. Your pocketbook is the focus of stresses Thursday night, possibly when you wish you could treat someone to something. Friday night is ideal for a night out with your mate and some select friends.

TAURUS - April 20-May 20 - Mercury opposes Jupiter on Monday night; you may be drawn to enroll in a college course, join a seminar, or even teach. Your mate may escort you around the town on Tuesday. Home life may be stressful Thursday night, when a family member (or the house itself) may cost you more than you budgeted for. Saturday may well be the most productive day of the week, when Moon in compatible Virgo trines both Pluto and Jupiter.

GEMINI - May 21-June 20 – The Moon is in Gemini from Sunday till Monday night. Sunday night favors an outlet for your competitive fires; have someone over for Scrabble. You are up bright n early Monday for a day with your perky nose to the grindstone – but by evening I think you will be ready to escape for awhile. Friday will probably be busy with job-related trips, but is should be worth it in terms of orders. Be careful of an altercation in transit Friday afternoon, tho.

CANCER - June 21-July 22 – The Moon is back in its home, Cancer, from 9:38 pm Monday till Thursday morn. You might play Dr Mom Monday night; have the first aid kit ready for children's boo-boos, and the tea bags ready for friends who cry on your shoulders. On Tuesday night, you may receive happy news about the kids, creative interests, or speculations. Wednesday you may feel like you are beating your head against a brick wall; maybe you should aim a trickle of water at it instead.

LEO - July 23-Aug. 22 – The Moon shines its spotlight on Leo from 6:06 am Thursday till Saturday morning. You might decide to change practitioners Thursday morn. Also Thursday, insights may flash into your head so pay attention. You may feel like the company is headed in the wrong direction, and you may be right, but it is premature to make any judgment. Friday morning may be stressful on the home front, perhaps with a surprise announcement of a child's engagement, but I know you will get busy with wedding preparations. Saturday morn is lazy and contented.

VIRGO - Aug. 23-Sept. 22 – Mercury opposite Jupiter on Monday night in your houses of education may mean enrolling in classes or even teaching. The Moon is in Virgo 10:40 am Saturday thru the next weekend. Surprises may come your way Saturday, forcing you to make some changes, but you'll adapt. Saturday night can be very productive of practical work, perhaps canning jars of your splendid jams and sauces.

LIBRA - Sept. 23-Oct. 22 – Your best day may be Monday when the Moon in compatible Gemini trines Sun and Saturn in your sign; legal matters and higher education are favored if you have done your homework. Wednesday pm will find challenges at work. The Sun in your sign trines Neptune Friday night in your solar fifth house of romance; a most glamorous and romantic date is favored. Not a good time for starting a romance, tho, since the other party may not be what he or she seems at first.

SCORPIO - Oct. 23-Nov. 21 – Sunday afternoon favors snuggling in with a new mystery novel, your favorite form of light reading. Mercury opposite Jupiter on Monday night may make you and your mate the best student-teacher combo ever. (PS- The teaching may go both ways.) Tuesday may be your best day, with Moon in compatible Cancer making easy trines to Mercury and Venus in your sign. Children and creative outlets are favored in the pm.

SAGITTARIUS - Nov. 22-Dec. 21 – Sunday night may be your fave part of the week when the Moon and Mars in compatible signs entertain you with sports, games or theatrical shows. A message from a respected friend arrives Monday; heed good advice. Income from your sideline may alleviate financial pressures on Tuesday, but don't spend it before you've gotten it. Thursday offers a great time with adult children or entertainment; take a day trip together.

CAPRICORN - Dec. 22-Jan. 19 – Sunday afternoon is the wrong time to settle in with paperwork, but Pluto favors digging down for some forensic bookkeeping then. Try to use a light touch with your mate on Tuesday morning, or she will feel like she's treated like a servant. You may be inspired Thursday by showmanship and comedy geniuses. Saturday night can be quite productive.

AQUARIUS - Jan. 20-Feb. 17 – A minor argument with your spouse on Sunday may clarify what makes her happy. Your best day may be Monday when the Moon in compatible Gemini trines Sun and Saturn in Libra; legal matters and higher education are favored if you have done your homework. A judge may hand down a verdict (at last!) on Friday, but you will have to work hard to make your case on Thursday.

PISCES - Feb. 18-March 19 – Mercury opposite Jupiter on Monday night in your houses of education may mean enrolling in classes or even teaching. Tuesday may be your best day, with Moon in compatible Cancer making easy trines to Mercury and Venus in Scorpio; higher education and publishing are favored in the pm. Saturday can be productive if you pitch in on a spouse's project.

Your Milky Way Horoscope Oct. 9-15, 2011

2011-10-03T07:56:00.000-07:00

By Milky Way Maid

Venus enters passionate Scorpio at 1:50 am Sunday. Venus in Libra is relationship-oriented, but in Scorpio she demands total commitment. Venus in Scorpio can have quite a talent for finding hidden talents in others and making them aware of these latent abilities. This brings out the hidden worth that was going unknown and un-revealed. Famous people with Venus in Scorpio include Mary Martin, Mohandas “Mahatma” Gandhi, Andy Williams, Sophia Loren and Marie Antoinette.

Venus in Scorpio is inconjunct Uranus at 2 degrees of Aries at 4:15 pm Monday. The inconjunct is a very difficult aspect to handle. With Venus placed in a relationship house, you may lean towards terminating a relationship, or the other party may be forced to be away for a time (such as with a military deployment). With Venus in a money house, your income may come only in fits and spurts – so plan accordingly.

Mercury in Libra trines retrograde Neptune at 28 degrees of Aquarius at 6:10 am Wednesday. Aspects between Mercury and Neptune can lead to misunderstandings and garbled messages, and that can happen even with the trine. Your mind or mouth gets ahead of itself, to the point where you may even stutter. However, the trine also offers the possibility of gaining a higher level of communication, possibly even a psychic, unspoken level of communication. You may discuss dreams, ideals, and a wish for the elusive ascending spiral of human progress.

Venus in Scorpio sextiles Pluto at 5 degrees of Capricorn at 3:43 am Thursday. Venus in Scorpio plus heavy-duty Pluto are a couple of very serious, committed, passionate planets. Nothing halfway here, so a discussion of your future as a couple might be in the cards.

Mercury enters Scorpio at 10:19 pm Thursday. Mercury in very serious, spiritual Scorpio wants to get to the crux of everything. Stop beating around the bush and lay things out for him straight-up; he can take it.

The Sun is conjunct Saturn at 20 degrees of Libra at 5:13 pm Thursday. Stop quaking in your boots – you're not gonna die. I can tell you at least one thing good about this conjunction. I started a job with this aspect in effect, several years ago; it was a very physically demanding job and I quickly lost about 30 pounds that I really did not want anyway. So it is GOOD for WEIGHT LOSS!!! Plan to deliberately begin a diet and or exercise routine now, and stick it out as long as you can. People who have great difficulty losing weight can see the pounds come off if they can just follow a sensible plan that they can live with, for the long term.

I suggest starting 2 or 3 days before the exact conjunction, or the following Friday morning. Why? Because the exact conjunction may feel too oppressive to continue for very long, while if you start earlier you will benefit from progressions. The progressed chart for the beginning of the diet will not show an exact conjunction (a probable ending date for the diet) for 2 or 3 YEARS, and that gives you a lot of time to break bad habits and institute brand new, good habits in their place.

In career matters, you may be put in charge of something, and becoming a Quality Control techie also fits this aspect. You might just be the QC in charge of only your own muddled-up life, but then again, you wouldn't hand that job to a stranger, now would you?

Venus in Scorpio opposes Jupiter at 7 degrees of Taurus at 7:53 pm Friday. This is a bit of a toughie to interpret because Venus and Jupiter are natural pals, both being fond of indulgence and comfort. So the opposition may mean hurting yourself via gluttony or hedonism.

PS – I listed a few used astrology books for sale on Amazon Books; Part Two was posted July 1! **Includes a classic Alan Leo book** (now discounted) Look for reviews in my column with a link to the listing. Even more titles to come soon. Thanks for your support (and patience). Note that the Intuition book, listed in Part One, has sold.
ALSO – see my popular article on late degrees of all the signs. Link: http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2008/08/15/planets-in-late-degrees-what-do-they-mean/
ALSO – see new article on The Goddess Archetypes: The Pallas Athena Myth at http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/the-goddess-archetypes-the-pallas-athena-myth/
ALSO – check out Astrology.com -- free lessons online

Readers can follow not only their Sun sign horoscope but also the sign of their Ascendant for further clues to how your week will develop. Also note: some aspects are exact on a weekend but may find opportunity for expression on the Friday or Monday nearest the exact aspect. Times given are in Eastern Standard or Eastern Daylight Savings Time depending on the season.

ARIES - March 20-April 19 - The Moon is in Aries from 8:57 am Mon.-Wed. night. Make a resolution to brown-bag lunch beginning Monday to build up your Christmas fund. Someone may upset you around midday but soon you gain an insight into a puzzle. Try not to spend your evening dwelling on things you cannot change. Midday Tues. is very positive for balanced emotions and energy; you can get a lot done. The evening features a Full Moon at 18 degrees Aries; the keyword is discipline: better to impose it upon yourself than to wait for someone else to do it. On Wed.: the keyword is communicating your ideals. Friday am might be spent setting up a new voicemail or computer system.

TAURUS - April 20-May 20 – Tuesday's Full Moon in Aries accents making special times for family activities, possibly including camping out in some quiet getaway. The Moon is in Taurus from 9:35 pm Wednesday till Saturday morning. Visit a sick friend on Wednesday. You could gain some legal assistance with a long-term problem Thursday. Also on Thursday, Sun-Saturn conjunct in your solar sixth house of health helps you get a grip on health issues. Friday is a day of adjustment, possibly to a new work schedule or new duties.

GEMINI - May 21-June 20 – Early Wednesday, try to write down dreams to capture important insights. Thursday offers an excellent chance to start a lessons in a creative field, gain a mentor, or just maybe a romance with someone older. The Moon is in Gemini from 10:15 am Saturday where it remains thru the weekend. A Moon-Chiron square midday Saturday may mean minor health issues; watch what you eat for lunch. Try to reach a friend online in the early pm for a chat. The evening could be productive if researching health or finance issues.

CANCER - June 21-July 22 - Tuesday's Full Moon in Aries accents career issues; you may turn down an advancement if family responsibilities are heavy right now. On Thursday, Sun-Saturn conjunct in your solar fourth house of home and family helps you get a grip on household management skills (visit the FlyLady online for lots of help, tips and scheduling reminders). Venus and Mercury enter compatible Scorpio this week; you may notice it's easier to express yourself and to bond with those you love. V and M also trine Chiron in Pisces which may mean you play Dr. Mom this month.

LEO - July 23-Aug. 22 - Tuesday's Full Moon in Aries accents communicating your energetic services or views. On Thursday, Sun-Saturn conjunct in your solar third house of the neighborhood helps you find support for preserving a local landmark. Venus and Mercury enter Scorpio this week, which may make it difficult for you to deal with expressing affection this month (because Scorpio is a difficult sign for you to handle). Creative expression may improve just because you need some sort of outlet for stirred-up emotions.

VIRGO - Aug. 23-Sept. 22 - Tuesday's Full Moon in Aries accents joint finances and taking personal responsibility for your expenses. On Thursday, Sun-Saturn conjunct in your solar second house of finance helps you start a successful budgeting system. Venus and Scorpio enter Scorpio and your solar third house this week; Mercury is at home there, and Venus helps you express more affection with siblings and other relatives. Get in the hugging habit.

LIBRA - Sept. 23-Oct. 22 – Librans have much to benefit from this week. Mercury trines Neptune in air signs on Wednesday. Capture ideas and issues that the public is focusing on now, to give your own ideas and services their proper value to others. Try to generate ideas in a bull session before work. Possibly you have some interesting dreams to record; please do jot them down because their meaning may become clear later. Then, the Sun-Saturn conjunction on Thursday afternoon offers a chance to get a grip on your own bad habits or compulsions. See notes at top of column for valuable tips!

SCORPIO - Oct. 23-Nov. 21 - Tuesday's Full Moon in Aries accents health and work issues; you may have to hole up in your den to finish a project. On Thursday, Sun-Saturn conjunct in your solar twelfth house of retreats helps you discipline your down time so you move along with personal projects and take better care of yourself. Venus and Mercury enter your sign this week, and you may suddenly find your voice, plus a bit of cash in your pocket. How nice-- hope things stay like that.

SAGITTARIUS - Nov. 22-Dec. 21 - Tuesday's Full Moon in Aries accents fun, games and romance; you may have extra luck in becoming an authority due to your internet presence. On Thursday, Sun-Saturn conjunct in your solar eleventh house of friends helps you cement bonds with an older person or mentor. You might also take on duties as an officer of that club you belong to.

CAPRICORN - Dec. 22-Jan. 19 - Tuesday's Full Moon in Aries accents home and family matters; you may become more of a disciplinarian, or you may take on extra duties in watching over nieces and nephews. On Thursday, Sun-Saturn conjunct in your solar tenth house of career may mean you are finally awarded the top job and all the responsibilities that go with it. You may be put in charge of “something” even if it is only the job of taking out the garbage!

AQUARIUS - Jan. 20-Feb. 17 - Aquarians have much to benefit from this week. Mercury trines Neptune in air signs on Wednesday. Capture ideas and issues that the public is focusing on now, to give your own ideas and services their proper value to others. Try to generate ideas in a bull session before work. Possibly you have some interesting dreams to record; please do jot them down because their meaning may become clear later. Then, the Sun-Saturn conjunction on Thursday afternoon offers a chance to get a decision on legal problems, publishing rights, or college matters. See notes at top of column for valuable tips!

PISCES - Feb. 18-March 19 - Tuesday's Full Moon in Aries accents personal finance issues; you may have restrictions placed on you by the bank, insurer, or loan company. The Moon is in Pisces as the week begins, till Monday morning. Sunday is an awkward day when nothing seems to fit and you rearrange the furniture because you keep bumping into things. Soak your tootsies at the end of the day. On Thursday, Sun-Saturn conjunct in your solar eighth house of pooled funds may mean that some services may no longer be covered by your insurance. Examine details of new insurance proposals for 2012 carefully.

Your Milky Way Horoscope Oct. 2-8, 2011

2011-09-26T13:07:00.001-07:00

By Milky Way Maid

Wedding bells may ring for some of us, as Venus, the planet of love, conjoins Juno, the asteroid ruling marriage and partnerships, on Sunday, Oct. 2. Make your dates for that romantic dinner with the uncommitted beau you are so crazy about.
Mars in Leo squares Jupiter at 8 degrees of Taurus (which is BTW a critical degree) at 1:21 am Monday. Night owls will be playing the slots or anything else they feel lucky at. The fact that this is a critical degree, will I think mean that these fixed signs will finally break out of their ruts to take a risk on something. Leo, a sign that prefers to be acknowledged as the best, will be more competitive.
Mercury is conjunct Saturn at 19 degrees Libra at 6:01 pm Thursday. Libra loves discussing ideas (and ideals) anyway, and Mercury with Saturn emphasizes playing with words, concepts, numbers, and all scientific data and theories. This evening may find you crunching the numbers or dealing with statistics.
Venus in Libra trines Neptune at 28 degrees Aquarius at 7:26 pm Friday. Ah, partnership-oriented Venus in Libra starts getting dreamy-eyed over a rather aloof Other. Creative types can find new inspiration and fresh spurt of artistic productivity. Try playing music to help you get into your groove.
Venus soon enters the sign of Scorpio at 1:50 am NEXT Sunday, Oct. 9. Where Venus in Libra insists on equality, Scorpio insists on total commitment. In the financial area, it might (emphasize might) be possible to get that loan or line of credit with Venus in this sign.
PS – I listed a few used astrology books for sale on Amazon Books; Part Two was posted July 1! **Includes a classic Alan Leo book** Look for reviews in my column with a link to the listing. Even more titles to come soon. Thanks for your support (and patience). Note that the Intuition book, listed in Part One, has sold.
ALSO – see my popular article on late degrees of all the signs. Link: http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2008/08/15/planets-in-late-degrees-what-do-they-mean/
ALSO – see new article on The Goddess Archetypes: The Pallas Athena Myth at http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/the-goddess-archetypes-the-pallas-athena-myth/
ALSO – check out Astrology.com -- free lessons online

Readers can follow not only their Sun sign horoscope but also the sign of their Ascendant for further clues to how your week will develop. Also note: some aspects are exact on a weekend but may find opportunity for expression on the Friday or Monday nearest the exact aspect. Times given are in Eastern Standard or Eastern Daylight Savings Time depending on the season.

ARIES - March 20-April 19 – Venus and Juno conjoin in your solar seventh house of partnerships, so if you are not wedded now, you might at least latch onto a suitable partner this week. There is some threat of minor injuries this week so look around your house and yard to identify and remedy unsafe situations. Monday morning is a rather emotionally stressful time, when others may look to you for a course of action – sad to say, this may set the tone for the early part of the week. Thursday and Friday promise a chance to take a breather with an outing (or trip) with friends. Saturday might be spent at a private retreat, such as a cabin or out camping.

TAURUS - April 20-May 20 – This could be a stressful week, or it could be a chance to show how athletic you are. Mars in Leo, Jupiter in your sign, and Vesta in Aquarius form a T-square; and BTW Venus will form another one as it moves into Scorpio. You may have to learn to tap into inner resources as well as network with helpful people to weather this storm. You may have trouble getting your doc to understand what you think is the matter with you, but try to get him to order a blood test at least. Oh, and start building a little money stash in case cash flow is interrupted this month.

GEMINI - May 21-June 20 – Wedding bells are ringing in your solar fifth house of romance this month, as Venus and Juno conjoin Oct. 3. Things may get serious with your beau very soon. Internet security may be an issue this week so pay attention to updates. Venus moves into Scorpio this week, your solar sixth house of work and health. You could get some compliments if not sales of your craft or hobby products. Maybe someone can give you a tip on a good craft show to display your wares at. South Node is about halfway through your sign now; you may notice a lack of energy as it goes over your Sun, but that should pass.

CANCER - June 21-July 22 – You may be forced to examine fees, taxes and other commission charges you are being assessed. Take a magnifying glass to bills and contracts; perhaps if your situation warrants you can get relief from these fees by switching bank account types or institutions. Ask your local credit union about assuming a loan with high fees. On a happier note, a family member may announce an engagement. Have people you do business with sign releases to absolve you in case of injury.

LEO - July 23-Aug. 22 – The week begins with Mars in your sign squaring Jupiter; you challenge others to a (mostly) friendly game. Your competitive fires may be kindled! Also your Mars is opposed by Vesta, so you may be busy installing alarm or intercom systems (or even a mini gym) at home. Taking a class with your mate on Friday can open up a great deal of stimulating discussion about values and ideals. Venus will enter your solar fourth house, where you may be moved to paint or spruce up your home.

VIRGO - Aug. 23-Sept. 22 – Jupiter in your solar ninth house of law is challenged in court by Mars in Leo. Can't predict outcome at this time, but pick your lawyer carefully. Those who are romantically involved with a lawyer or counselor would be wise to avoid mixing business with pleasure. You may need a mental-health day from work, or choose to spend a weekend at that rustic cabin you love so much. Best day of the week may be Saturday, when easy sextiles unite the earth signs with restful Pisces.

LIBRA - Sept. 23-Oct. 22 – Venus in your sign is conjunct Juno, the asteroid ruling marriage and other close partnerships, on Sunday, Oct. 2. Getting married? At least hang around someplace where you might meet suitable partners. Vesta in your solar fifth house trines the Sun in your sign; a romantic partner provides a sense of security; another beau may be more of a hearts-and-flowers type but offer only promises. Children may also help you out on a material level. With Uranus in your solar seventh house, a foreigner or someone with an accent is likely to be your mate. Mars in Leo indicates friends who may risk too much this month; don't offer to bail them out.

SCORPIO - Oct. 23-Nov. 21 – So much has been going on behind the scenes, just hang on a little longer and some favors will come your way soon. The North Node transiting your second house of money shows that as you gain skills in money management, things will bloom for you. This can be a stressful week, as things play out in all the major areas of your life. You might think about a home business, or a partnership situation. Chiron enters Pisces in your solar fifth house of recreation and romance; take care to warm up properly before exercise, and replace worn-out gym shoes for proper support.

SAGITTARIUS - Nov. 22-Dec. 21 – The week begins with the Moon in Sag, until Monday morn. Sag enjoys the company of older friend Sunday morning; perhaps you could take gran out for brunch. The early afternoon is very favorable for enjoying the company of a young lady, for attending a concert or art show, or checking out the local music scene. A late-night movie appeals. Foot injuries are a definite possibility this month, which can be avoided if you carefully re-stack boxes and clear the steps of all items.

CAPRICORN - Dec. 22-Jan. 19 – The Moon is in Capricorn from 4:16 am Monday till midday Wednesday. Monday morning may find you at loggerheads again with a Aries at home; I see you laying down the law. However, the evening is very pleasant, possibly enjoying a massage or a concert. Tuesday will probably be quite stressful; career issues demand a decision now. Chiron in the third points to possible injuries to hands or arms; wear proper gloves for yard work, and in general just think ahead.

AQUARIUS - Jan. 20-Feb. 17 – The Moon is in Aquarius from 11:18 am Wednesday till Friday night. Try stopping at the local bookstore after work Wednesday; you might find a humorous book under a Uranus aspect. Things may get blown all out of proportion when dealing with family members at home early Thursday (or late Wed.). Dial down the emotions and stay cool. Things can get smoothed out by midday Thursday if you try to reach each other on a mental level. Thursday night favors handling the family budget. Friday is smooth sailing, especially if you are literally on the water by evening.

PISCES - Feb. 18-March 19 – Chiron enters Pisces this month; you may be susceptible to ailments or injuries affecting the feet. Baby yourself with foot baths or pedicures, or see a podiatrist if needed. The Moon is in Pisces from 9:13 pm Friday through the weekend. The Moon conjuncts Chiron very late on Friday; you dwell on those who have wronged you, when you might ponder what you have learned from those you've met. Saturday midday finds you optimistic or even lucky; hang out at a bookstore, library, or sign up for a class.

Your Milky Way Horoscope Sept. 25-Oct. 1, 2011

2011-09-18T13:13:00.000-07:00

By Milky Way Maid

Sun in Libra opposes retrograde Uranus at 2 degrees of Aries at 8:15 pm Sunday. This is the “Born To Be Wild” aspect. Now, if you are driving that might not be a good thing if you ignore a stop light and plow into another car, so heads up on that. Pay attention to inner needs that come to light now, urges that you have suppressed so you could make brownie points. You may find some way of giving them an outlet, but it will take time to find it. Going from “Rebel Without A Cause” to one WITH a cause is the goal. Dying your hair purple may be amusing, but taking up a fight against some City Hall silliness brings longer-lasting satisfaction.

Mercury joins the other inner planets in the sign of Libra at 5:09 pm Sunday. (This is followed by the Mercury opposition to Uranus at 2:30 am Tuesday.) Mercury in Libra can be too afraid to say what is really on his/her mind, for fear of losing acceptance. A strong Mercury expression would be communicating what people NEED to hear (rather than what they WANT to hear) – which better serves your ideals of truth, justice and balance. You can still sugar-coat hard messages with diplomacy, my dear.

A New Moon occurs at 4 degrees exactly of Libra at 7:09 am Tuesday. (We had the Libra ingress aka Fall Equinox on Sept. 23.) Moon and Mercury oppose Uranus, with the Moon conjoining Venus overnight. Moon-Mercury opposite Uranus could bring shocking news, one that truly alarms the public (Moon). Venus recalls us to our core values, and helps us to comfort one another. It might also cause a rush to pull cash out of banks or other accounts like the stock market.

Mercury in Libra squares Pluto at almost 5 degrees Capricorn at 10:26 am Wednesday. Pluto aspects often are related to taking control of some area of our lives, or with the Moon, wishing we had control of that area of our lives. Mercury-Pluto aspects, I suspect, respond to using affirmations or possibly self-hypnosis as an aid to regaining control of an area of our life, a habit that we'd like to break, or in voicing our concerns and thoughts to others so that they willingly change the way they treat you.

The Sun is conjunct Mercury later the same day (4:16 pm), at 5 degrees Libra. Generally a good day for finding things when shopping. Your mind is usually functioning at a high level, comparing facts and figures quickly and making fast decisions on what is a good deal or not. This is especially true when they are in discriminating Virgo, who is great at the purely clerical side of getting quotes and comparing numbers and getting paperwork done (with all the t's and i's properly crossed/dotted).

Mercury in Libra sextiles Mars at 6 degrees Leo at 10:12 am Thursday, followed by the Sun sextile Mars overnight. This is favorable for eye-hand coordination, whether in crafts, sports, working with heat/fire, or whatever. Debate should be even-handed and fair (Libra), tho Leo tends to believe that everything he believes is of course unalterably true.

Venus is conjunct Saturn at 18 degrees Libra at 7:48 pm Thursday. Saturn prefers to earn the money (Venus) that he gets – and it will be only as much as you need to get by, probably not too much more than that. Ambitious Saturn receives the benefit of Venus who softens the edges and helps you gain the favors of those who make hiring decisions, for example. If this transit contacts natal Venus or Saturn, there may be a separation in a relationship, or you may decide to “make it official” and announce an engagement.

PS – I listed a few used astrology books for sale on Amazon Books; Part Two was posted July 1! **Includes a classic Alan Leo book** Look for reviews in my column with a link to the listing. Even more titles to come soon. Thanks for your support. Note that the Intuition book, listed in Part One, has sold.
ALSO – see my popular article on late degrees of all the signs. Link: http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2008/08/15/planets-in-late-degrees-what-do-they-mean/
ALSO – see new article on The Goddess Archetypes: The Pallas Athena Myth at http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/the-goddess-archetypes-the-pallas-athena-myth/
ALSO – check out Astrology.com -- free lessons online

Readers can follow not only their Sun sign horoscope but also the sign of their Ascendant for further clues to how your week will develop. Also note: some aspects are exact on a weekend but may find opportunity for expression on the Friday or Monday nearest the exact aspect. Times given are in Eastern Standard or Eastern Daylight Savings Time depending on the season.

ARIES - March 20-April 19 – You may pine for a newer, faster, shinier electronic something early Sunday, but see if you can clean up the files in the one you have for faster computing. Sunday night you may decide to circulate a petition, to fight City Hall in other words; well, if anyone can get something going, you can. Mercury enters your seventh house this week, where you will have to say what your partners need to hear rather than what they want to hear. The New Moon is also in your seventh house, where you may learn rather startling things about your partner as well as yourself.

TAURUS - April 20-May 20 - The New Moon in Libra affects your solar sixth house; psychological insights may pop up from nowhere. Mercury enters your sixth house, too, this week, where you will have to say what co-workers (or health practitioners) need to hear rather than what they want to hear. The Venus-Saturn conjunction Thursday also contacts your sixth house of health and work; you may get a job that pays only a minimum or flat rate, but it should be something easy or in pleasant surroundings.

GEMINI - May 21-June 20 - The New Moon in Libra affects your solar fifth house; a child or beau may have something rather startling to say, or be upset about something he/she has learned. Mercury enters your fifth house this week, where you will need to say what children need to hear rather than what they want to hear. The Venus-Saturn conjunction Thursday also contacts your fifth house of romance, favoring making things official with that special someone.

CANCER - June 21-July 22 - The New Moon in Libra affects your solar fourth house; you may be shocked to learn something about a family member, or your employer may make a sudden announcement. Mercury enters your fourth house this week, where you will have to say what family members need to hear rather than what they want to hear. The Venus-Saturn conjunction Thursday also contacts your fourth house of home and family, signifying you may have to move to a smaller tho pleasant home.

LEO - July 23-Aug. 22 - The New Moon in Libra affects your solar third house; communications may get a technology upgrade; you may be shocked at some of the things proposed for the local school district or community college. Mercury enters your third house this week, where you will have to say what others need to hear rather than what they want to hear. The Venus-Saturn conjunction Thursday also contacts your third house of education and messages; you may enroll in a course of study related to Venus-ruled subjects, such as art, baking, candy-making, leather-working, crafts, furniture-making or cabinetry, jewelry-making, and of course music.

VIRGO - Aug. 23-Sept. 22 – The Moon is in Virgo from 12:49 am Sunday till the wee hours Tuesday. The Moon trines Pluto at 8:49 am Sunday; pull out an affirmation and start working on changing the things that you can. The Moon trines Jupiter at 3:47 pm Sunday; a good time is had by all, especially lucky you. Mercury enters your second house this week, where you will need to talk about money matters in a diplomatic fashion. The Venus-Saturn conjunction Thursday also contacts your second house of finances; you may enroll or teach on the subject of finance or bookkeeping, you make a sounder budget plan, or you may willingly retire or take a pay cut.

LIBRA - Sept. 23-Oct. 22 – Sunday night's Sun-Uranus opposition brings out the inner rebel in you; don't toss out mate without a great deal of thought. The Moon is in Libra from 12:51 am Tuesday till late Wednesday. Your mate could have shocking news, or you find out something about him that knocks you for a loop. By Wednesday pm you may be better able to talk things out. The Mercury-Pluto square today means you will just have to accept what the Boss at home decides. On Thursday you are able to debate someone and marshal the facts at will. Thursday also favors taking a hard look at finances and cutting out all extraneous items (Venus-Saturn conjunction).

SCORPIO - Oct. 23-Nov. 21 – The Moon is in Scorpio from 12:05 am Thursday till early Saturday. Thursday poses mid-morning frustrations, when you're wise to back off and re-read the instructions. Over-emotionalism may prevail that afternoon; try not to blow things out of proportion. Talking to a counselor (or lawyer) Friday afternoon may bring a new perspective. Cocooning with a bunch of DVDs Friday night beckons. The Venus-Saturn conjunction Thursday also contacts your twelfth house of hospitals or retreats; you may decide to attend a spiritual or other retreat.

SAGITTARIUS - Nov. 22-Dec. 21 – The New Moon in Libra affects your solar eleventh house; you may learn shocking things about a friend or even about a club that you belong to. The Moon is in Sag from 12:42 am Saturday thru the weekend. You enjoy time spent with a child or beau Saturday morn, possibly watching the cartoons but at any rate laughing yourselves silly. The afternoon calls for some physical activity, possibly rooting for a college team, with a friend in tow. The early evening favors chatting with friends either in person or online. The Venus-Saturn conjunction Thursday also contacts your eleventh house of friends; you may draw closer to a dear senior or mentor-type.

CAPRICORN - Dec. 22-Jan. 19 - The New Moon in Libra affects your solar tenth house; a family member, or even your employer, may have a startling announcement. Mercury enters your tenth house this week, where you will have to say what co-workers need to hear rather than what they want to hear. Wednesday's Mercury-Pluto square indicates serious discussions about your role in the company; you may try to negotiate a raise and get added responsibilities instead. The Venus-Saturn conjunction Thursday also contacts your tenth house of career; you may elect early retirement, or you may receive a well-deserved honor or gift.

AQUARIUS - Jan. 20-Feb. 17 - The New Moon in Libra affects your solar ninth house; communications may get a technology upgrade; you may be shocked at some of the things proposed for the local school district or community college. Mercury enters your ninth house this week, where you will have to say what others need to hear rather than what they want to hear. This may be related to politics, college education, law, religion, or publishing issues. The Venus-Saturn conjunction Thursday also contacts your ninth house, where a legal judgment may only cover expenses.

PISCES - Feb. 18-March 19 - The New Moon in Libra affects your solar eighth house; surprises may be in store regarding joint accounts or pooled funds. Creative projects are favored Thursday under the helpful Mercury-Mars sextile, beneficial for crafts and any eye-hand coordination. The Venus-Saturn conjunction Thursday also contacts your eighth house of insurance and estates; if receiving a bequest, it may come through but be smaller than expected, and if dealing with an insurer, they may cover a lesser service.

Your Milky Way Horoscope Sept. 18-24, 2011

2011-09-11T13:59:00.000-07:00

By Milky Way Maid

Venus in Libra squares Pluto at 4 degrees Capricorn at 9:08 pm Sunday. Venus square Pluto usually translates as obsessive attachment to a romantic Other, unfortunately all to often this Other is not interested at all. Sometimes it manifests as a controlling relationship (not healthy at all). OK, the highest expression would be a love that is transformative, helping one to become a better person. So there is not much to choose from on a realistic level here.

Mars enters fiery Leo at 9:51 pm Sunday. This is a great position for Mars natally, as fiery Mars is quite at home in fire sign Leo; also these natives often have the opportunity to prove their great leonine courage with this placement. Mars here also favors sports and athletics in general; we may see some good national league games.

Sun in Virgo is inconjunct Neptune at 28 degrees Aquarius at 10:17 pm Wednesday. This can be a debilitating aspect, and people with natal contacts to these planets may be easily exhausted. So pace yourself, or let others help you out.
Venus in Libra is inconjunct retrograde Jupiter at 9 degrees Taurus at 1:23 pm Thursday. Some of us may have to make adjustments to how we express our affection and good natures. We may have to rely less on material expressions (meaning, buying gifts) and more on giving of ourselves.

The Sun enters Libra at 5:05 am Friday, the day of the fall equinox. It could be a wonderful and inspiring day, with the Moon and Mars in Leo trine Uranus in Aries.
Mercury in Virgo is inconjunct Neptune at 28 degrees Aquarius at 11:48 pm Saturday. This can be a classic example of confused communications and garbled messages, so hang on and give each other a break.

PS – I am listing a few used astrology books for sale on Amazon Books; Part Two was posted July 1! Look for reviews in my column with a link to the listing. Even more titles to come soon. Thanks for your support (and patience). Note that the Intuition book, listed in Part One, has sold.

ALSO – see my popular article on late degrees of all the signs. Link: http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2008/08/15/planets-in-late-degrees-what-do-they-mean/
ALSO – see new article on The Goddess Archetypes: The Pallas Athena Myth at http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/the-goddess-archetypes-the-pallas-athena-myth/
ALSO – check out Astrology.com -- free lessons online

Readers can follow not only their Sun sign horoscope but also the sign of their Ascendant for further clues to how your week will develop. Also note: some aspects are exact on a weekend but may find opportunity for expression on the Friday or Monday nearest the exact aspect. Times given are in Eastern Standard or Eastern Daylight Savings Time depending on the season.

ARIES - March 20-April 19 - Best to avoid power struggles with a romantic Other on Sunday; no one can win that thing. Mars enters your solar fifth house of sports and other amusements; this could herald losses in gambling but is good for performing yourself. Fire signs may make a big impact on Friday, but may also be terribly volatile; get yourself centered. The Sun enters your solar seventh house on Friday; you may do more interviewing this month, or find a possible business partner.

TAURUS - April 20-May 20 – The Moon is in Taurus as the week begins, but only till the early morning. Dreams may be colorful and inspiring (or frightening) early Sunday. Early risers may feel up to running or other exercise, possibly ending with a view of the sunrise. Mars enters your solar fourth house this week; renovation or DIY home repairs may be on your agenda. The Sun enters your solar sixth house on Friday; you pay more attention to your health this month with the emphasis on wellness.

GEMINI - May 21-June 20 – The Moon is in Gemini from 4:06 am Sunday till Tuesday afternoon. Go to Sunday brunch with a humorous friend. Midday offers a lovely luncheon with a female friend or with a child (alternatively, artistic projects go well). Don't try to tell a child what to do Sunday night, just suggest options acceptable to both of you. Monday afternoon is auspicious for creativity; you may start a class with a fine instructor. Tuesday morning may feature a bit of a power struggle. Midday, you may pick up an inspiring book.

CANCER - June 21-July 22 – Mars enters your solar second house; watch fees and other expenses closely. The Moon is in Cancer from 2:53 pm Tuesday till Thursday night. Someone puts your schedule in a tizzy late Tuesday. Try not to argue about money Wednesday morning; you're better off saving any discussion for the family meeting. Wednesday morning at work gets off to a lucky start, especially if a friend at work helps you. Now don't cut off a family member rashly Wed. night; think things thru. Thursday evening on the town is very pleasant.

LEO - July 23-Aug. 22 – The Moon is in Leo from 9:55 pm Thursday till the end of the week. Thurs-Fri may endow you with brilliant ideas, tho I suggest writing them all down. You freely express your individuality, which may irk some people so temper things with a bit of humor. Friday afternoon you may be emotionally over the top; take it out on a nerf ball. Saturday morn favors taking a class, while in the evening you will not have energy for much other than a night at the movies. The Sun enters your solar third house on Friday; you may visit the old neighborhood or run into people from your childhood.

VIRGO - Aug. 23-Sept. 22 – Mars enters your twelfth house of self-undoing; your temper may get the better of you so you might try to burn off frustrations in the gym. The Sun enters your solar second house on Friday, tho, empowering you to find more resources within yourself. Best days may with the Moon in compatible Cancer Tues-Thurs. Working with a friend might not work out on Tuesday, but brunch with a Taurus is a pleasure Wednesday.

LIBRA - Sept. 23-Oct. 22 – Best to avoid power struggles Sunday; no one can win that thing. Moon in Gemini trine Saturn on Monday helps you with classwork. Wednesday may be trying, but Friday may be the best day this week. Mars enters your solar eleventh house of friends; you may be competitive with friends, and that may be OK if you burn off excess energy in friendly ball games. The Sun enters your sign on Friday; get ready for your close-ups this month!

SCORPIO - Oct. 23-Nov. 21 – Mars enters your solar tenth house of career, not a good time to pick fights with anyone at work. However, you may excel if you are in sales or athletics. Water signs can feel lonesome and unloved on Wednesday morn, but your mate offers positive encouragement to Scorpio. The Sun enters your solar eleventh house on Friday; you may wish to spend more time alone this month, possibly on a spiritual retreat.

SAGITTARIUS - Nov. 22-Dec. 21 – Best days this week may be when the Moon is in compatible Gemini, Sunday to mid-Tuesday. Sunday brunch will be a pleasure with air signs, and you make progress on classwork on Monday. Mars enters your solar ninth house of law, where you finally insist on your rights in court. Fire signs may be terribly volatile on Friday; get yourself centered. The Sun enters your solar eleventh house on Friday; you may spend more time this month working with a union, society, assn, organization, etc.

CAPRICORN - Dec. 22-Jan. 19 - Best to avoid power struggles Sunday; no one can win that thing. Mars enters your solar eighth house of estates and insurance; insurers may contest benefits so get assistance if needed to get a bill paid. The Sun enters your solar tenth house on Friday; you may be singled out for special attention (good or bad) this month. You may even be in the spotlight representing your company.

AQUARIUS - Jan. 20-Feb. 17 - Mars enters your solar seventh house of partners; spouses or business partners may be argumentative; spell out rights & obligations in contract terms. Air signs have a great time generating ideas midday Sunday or Monday, but not on Tuesday. The Sun enters your solar ninth house on Friday; you may take a long trip and post your progress online. Alternatively, you may go back to school, possibly to study a foreign language.

PISCES - Feb. 18-March 19 - Mars enters your solar sixth house of health and work; you may have to see a doc for a painful problem. Alternatively, if your health allows, you may have to work harder or longer hours at your job. Water signs can feel lonesome and unloved on Wednesday morn, but a neighbor or sibling offers positive encouragement to Pisces. The Sun enters your solar eighth house on Friday; you may crave intensity and intimacy this month, which may be partly satisfied by reading romance or mystery novels.

Your Milky Way Horoscope Sept. 11-17, 2011

2011-09-07T09:52:00.000-07:00

By Milky Way Maid

Venus in Virgo sextiles Mars at 25 degrees of Cancer at 12:22 am Sunday. Venus-Mars aspects can be very romantic, of course, although the fact that this is in caring signs like Virgo and Cancer suggests that the expression may take the form of tending to each other's creature comforts-- probably late last Saturday.

Mercury in Virgo is inconjunct Uranus at 3 degrees Aries at 1:01 am Sunday. Mechanical or electrical tools/gadgets may break down or malfunction. Avoid haste in any communications, since your brain and mouth could experience one of those unfortunate disconnects. Anxiety or the jitters may make it difficult to concentrate, and impulsiveness when driving must be avoided.

Mercury in Virgo trines Pluto at 4 degrees Capricorn at 1:27 am Monday. You might attempt the use of a key affirmation, chant, or even a spell with Pluto's power behind it, late on Sunday. Concentration will be excellent, helping you solve problems or puzzles. Cut through superficiality to a meaningful discussion with a mentor or other person who has a great influence on you.

Mercury in Virgo trines Jupiter at 9 degrees of Taurus at 9:43 pm Wednesday. Mercury and Jove together can really help you sell a volume of items you wish to be rid of; with Jupiter retrograde, I am thinking this favors used items. Hold a rummage sale or list things on Ebay and Craigslist. Good luck!

Venus enters its second home, Libra, at 10:40 pm Wednesday. Libras can benefit from a visit to the salon for a fresh look, or possibly a stop at the local day spa. Libras usually love flowers, so pluck the late blooms from you garden, or pick up a bunch at the florist. Flowers have spiritual qualities, which may be why they usually lift people's spirits. Libra loves dance, especially ballet; with the Venus transit you may enjoy attending a performance. And since Libra is the sign of marriage, you may find yourself spending even more time with that special someone; courtship is important to you, no matter how out-of-fashion it may be with the general population. However, you may suffer a rift first – see the following aspect.

Venus in Libra opposes Uranus at almost 3 degrees of Aries at 7:05 am Saturday. Hard aspects between Venus-Uranus often denote attraction to the unusual or foreign, but not a long-term liaison. Uranus may signify a breakup here. While you may enjoy this Other, and learn a lot from him/her, do not make any long-term plans with this person!

PS – I listed a few used astrology books for sale on Amazon Books; Part Two was posted July 1! Look for reviews in my column with a link to the listing. Even more titles to come soon. Thanks for your support (and patience). Note that the Intuition book, listed in Part One, has sold.
ALSO – see my popular article on late degrees of all the signs. Link: http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2008/08/15/planets-in-late-degrees-what-do-they-mean/
ALSO – see new article on The Goddess Archetypes: The Pallas Athena Myth at http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/the-goddess-archetypes-the-pallas-athena-myth/
ALSO – check out Astrology.com -- free lessons online

Readers can follow not only their Sun sign horoscope but also the sign of their Ascendant for further clues to how your week will develop. Also note: some aspects are exact on a weekend but may find opportunity for expression on the Friday or Monday nearest the exact aspect. Times given are in Eastern Standard or Eastern Daylight Savings Time depending on the season.

ARIES - March 20-April 19 – The Moon is in Aries from 2:49 am Tuesday till Thursday afternoon. Moon-Uranus squares Pluto in Capricorn on Tuesday; there may be some kind of rift or power struggle at work, and you could decide to go out on your own inre career. On Wednesday, do not expect your spouse to be totally supportive of your wishes; try to assure her regarding insurance coverages or other benefits. Thursday morn may produce wasted effort (possibly with some argument or difference of opinion), tho the second time you do a task should be durable.

TAURUS - April 20-May 20 – The Moon is in its exaltation, Taurus, from 3:25 pm Thursday till next Sunday morn. You may not get as much done Thursday night as you hoped; you may need to rest aching body parts. Maybe a nice Epsom salt soak will help. Try a positive affirmation late Thursday, and you may feel tons better in the morning. Midday Friday holds promise of a wonderful lunch with a Santa Claus-type. Moon trine Mercury Friday pm suggests long chats by phone or in person, so put out some tea and cookies. Have adult children or perhaps a new romantic interest over for supper on Saturday; extremely harmonious vibes prevail.

GEMINI - May 21-June 20 – Monday night is auspicious for income from career. Friends may seem too strange for you Tuesday, tho they may seem amusing in the retelling. Midweek you may hit on ways to make money at home, possibly with home parties. Wednesday is good for having people over for dinner, especially those you want to impress. Venus enters your solar fifth house on Wednesday night. Ah, romance beckons. Children seem more delightful and affectionate than usual. Your creative talents find an outlet, possibly by performing in social situations.

CANCER - June 21-July 22 – Monday is favored for work issues, but Tuesday might be power-struggle day. Midweek offers an opportunity to make money teaching, possibly in the form of seminars for organizations. Venus enters your solar fourth house on Wednesday night. You freshen up the home with paint, decorations or flowers. You may host a lovely young guest in your home. Friday lunch with a generous friend is very favored; you might thank them for all they've done by picking up the check, but you'll be repaid in spades. PS- After this week, Mars will leave your sign, so try to wrap up unfinished projects.

LEO - July 23-Aug. 22 – You may be able to sell health-related or hobby-related items mid-week, with the aid of a Venus-Jupiter trine. (put your craft items on consignment or online) Venus enters your solar third house on Wednesday night. Compliments may come your way, or the mail may bring certificates for free whatevers. You may have an opportunity to teach an art or craft. Career matters are very favored on Friday, with a little help from Moon, Mercury and Jupiter.

VIRGO - Aug. 23-Sept. 22 – You may be able to sell books, etc at rummage (with the aid of a Mercury-Jupiter trine) or by listing them online. Venus enters your solar second house on Wednesday night. Finances may take an upturn (after an early interruption in the flow of funds, possibly due to an ATM malfunction). You may see more demand for your services, or you may gain income from multiple sources. Late in the week, your mind may be on going back to school.

LIBRA - Sept. 23-Oct. 22 – The Moon is in a creative sign for you on Sunday-Monday; pull out your crafts or camera. Venus enters your sign on Wednesday night; treat yourself to a day spa, or a new salon haircut. You may even enjoy attending a dance performance. Foreigners or unusual people may hold a brief attraction for you, but aspects do not favor long-term prospects. Midweek offers a chance to make money thru connections with your spouse's family or contacts.

SCORPIO - Oct. 23-Nov. 21 – Chat with an influential friend early in the week, as he/she may be able to at least introduce you to someone. Monday night is great for a water-sign gathering, or holing up with your creative work. On Thursday, your mate may prefer cuddling on the couch to going out; nice work if you can get it, as they say. Relationships or public appearances are highly favored on Friday, so get something cooking now.

SAGITTARIUS - Nov. 22-Dec. 21 – On Tuesday a friend may borrow money, but count your bills so you have enough for your own needs. Midweek offers a chance to make your avocation into your vocation, so don't skip opportunities to network. Venus enters your solar eleventh house of friends and clubs; you may join an artistic or musical hobby group. Global music, for example, is one possibility. New friends are attractive, artistic, kind, and agreeable.

CAPRICORN - Dec. 22-Jan. 19 – Tuesday can be a stressful day at work, but Wednesday and Friday are very favorable. Venus enters your solar tenth house of career on Wednesday night. Perks of the job may start appearing on your desk, like the exec washroom key, gift cards, or other freebies. You are able to move toward goals with greater finesse and grace, with manners being key. Make time for a luncheon or dinner with your mate on Friday, when the Moon and Jupiter dispose you to be generous with each other.

AQUARIUS - Jan. 20-Feb. 17 – Seek out good advice Sunday from people in the know. Money matters are favored on Monday; possibly you might find a better interest rate or save on fees. Venus enters your solar ninth house of college-publishing-legal stuff-religion on Wednesday night. A legal judgment may be in your favor; an editor likes your manuscript; critics like your book; you meet agreeable people on campus. Friday is favorable for family time, maybe even a family picnic or reunion.

PISCES - Feb. 18-March 19 – The Moon is in Pisces as the week begins, till the wee hours Tuesday. The Moon has easy sextiles to Pluto and Jupiter Sunday; have brunch with an influential friend in the morning, and try to expand your mind midday. Monday morning may evidence tension with your mate, but dinner is lively especially if you have children sharing the table. Midweek offers opportunities to earn some extra cash by teaching, possibly on relationships or counseling.

Your Milky Way Horoscope Sept. 4-10, 2011

2011-08-29T08:19:00.000-07:00

By Milky Way Maid

Mercury in Leo opposes Neptune at 29 degrees Aquarius at 11:25 am Thursday. Mercury-Neptune aspects usually mean confused thinking or garbled communications but in this case, (due to the late degrees) it could mean quite a knack for writing inspiring or atmospheric stories and articles. Maybe you could get some aspiring writers together for a friendly writing contest, like the one that resulted in Mary Shelley's “Frankenstein.” Please refer to my article (linked below) for more on planets in late degrees of the signs.

Mercury enters its home sign, Virgo, at 1:58 am Friday. Mercury in Virgo is highly abstract in his thinking, but able to find practical application for theoretical knowledge. Mercury here is also good at languages, nutrition, and critical thinking. If you have this placement natally, take care to try to refrain from expecting perfection from us mere humans. In other words, try to develop a little Piscean compassion to balance out all that mental energy.

Mercury in Virgo opposes Chiron at 2 degrees Pisces at 12:29 pm Saturday. Now here is where Virgo's aptitude for medical or nutritional analysis can be applied to the healthcare field. Perhaps if this contacts a natal planet, you can link up with a local practitioner who correctly diagnoses your problem.

Venus in Virgo sextiles Mars at 25 degrees Cancer early next Sunday at 12:22 am. Venus and Mars together can be romantic but can also mean high energy and luck with sports and games. Virgo-Cancer is very nurturing of the body, ergo you and a loved one may spend some quality time attending to each other's physical needs either with (healthy) foods or foot rubs or spa services.

PS – I am listing a few used astrology books for sale on Amazon Books; Part Two was posted July 1! Look for reviews in my column with a link to the listing. Even more titles to come soon. Thanks for your support (and patience). Note that the Intuition book, listed in Part One, has sold.
ALSO – see my popular article on late degrees of all the signs. Link: http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2008/08/15/planets-in-late-degrees-what-do-they-mean/
ALSO – see new article on The Goddess Archetypes: The Pallas Athena Myth at http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/the-goddess-archetypes-the-pallas-athena-myth/
ALSO – check out Astrology.com -- free lessons online

Readers can follow not only their Sun sign horoscope but also the sign of their Ascendant for further clues to how your week will develop. Also note: some aspects are exact on a weekend but may find opportunity for expression on the Friday or Monday nearest the exact aspect. Times given are in Eastern Standard or Eastern Daylight Savings Time depending on the season.

ARIES - March 20-April 19 – Labor Day is grand for fire signs; you may be busy with sports/games or have a a bit of a bull session generating ideas. A bonus or a chance to work overtime falls into your lap on Tuesday. (make hay while the sun shines, you know) A friend may cost you money late Thursday, but perhaps it is due to a mis-communication. Mercury enters your solar sixth house of work and health; you may start a series of visits to a practitioner, or a flurry of orders may come in.

TAURUS - April 20-May 20 – Thoughts may take a morbid turn Sunday morn but shake that off with a walk to enjoy brisk fall weather. “Shop therapy” is expressly forbidden. Monday is when you may locate a good deal on insurance, or get a problem addressed. Late Thursday may have a tense discussion over what your career will cost you in family time. Mercury enters your solar fifth house this week; a younger person could become a romantic interest; you may help children with their creative interests.

GEMINI - May 21-June 20 – On Monday, you might take along a younger sibling on your holiday jaunt. A late evening at home Tuesday discussing joint finances with hubby will go a long way towards clarifying your goals as a couple. Wednesday may see a little tiff with your mate but try to remember what it was you promised to cut back on. On Thursday do not trust that legal papers will be as you expected; check over the wording with a fine-toothed comb. And don't believe everything you read or hear on the internet, either, that day. Mercury will enter Virgo, your solar fourth house; more comings and goings, more visitors to the house, um, you may as well hold some open-houses for all the tradesmen, agents, etc who need to stop in.

CANCER - June 21-July 22 – On Monday, a sale or at least a lead ay fall into your lap. A family tiff may mar Wednesday; state your feelings without laying blame. Mercury enters your solar third house this week so you may get busier with writing and other communications. The internet takes up more of your time, and you may research things like diet, healthier recipes, or start learning a new foreign language. Cancer has a surprising aptitude for languages so this might be a nice time to develop that skill.

LEO - July 23-Aug. 22 – Labor Day is filled with children's activities and games. On Thursday your mate or other Others may seem confused to you, unable to clearly express what they want. Vulcan mind-meld, anyone? Also you may have to juggle obligations to your mate and career. On Friday, a day trip with the spouse beckons; possibly you two are taking a class or seminar together. Mercury enters your solar second house this week; you may get more inquiries for your services so sharpen your quote-writing pencil.

VIRGO - Aug. 23-Sept. 22 – Map out your expenses for the holiday carefully, or by Wednesday you may be digging change from the bottom of your purse. Kids may be touchy or competitive on Wednesday. Try not to schedule medical appointments on Thursday since orders may get confused or scrambled. Mercury enters your solar first house; Mercury can have a “youthening” effect, altho Virgo often has a well-kept face and figure.

LIBRA - Sept. 23-Oct. 22 – Just chatting with friends may be the best part of your holiday this Monday. Stresses on the home front: Tuesday can have stressful surprises but you can adjust without missing a stride. On Wednesday you may have to juggle family and career demands yet again. Thursday can be a very creative time if you are able to have a day off from other demands. Do something special with the kids on Friday; try to make a memory for a lifetime.

SCORPIO - Oct. 23-Nov. 21 – You could be called in to work Monday; holiday pay will make a nice cushion. Check Wednesday's mail carefully; a friend may have sent you something interesting. Mercury enters your solar eleventh house of friends this week; younger friends enter your social circle, and you may join a writing group or “meetup.” You can pick up a lot of great tips, and just being around them helps you keep working at your own project.

SAGITTARIUS - Nov. 22-Dec. 21 – The Moon is in Sag as the week begins, until Monday night. You might spend too much on pet-care or health services this Sunday; make a budget and compare prices. The evening favors visiting older people or getting advice from mentors. Midday Monday will be busy with messages, and favors lunching with a Leo. The evening says yes to vegging out on movies. Mercury enters your solar tenth house this week; you may be called upon to act as spokesperson, or write quotes for new business.

CAPRICORN - Dec. 22-Jan. 19 – The Moon is in Capricorn from 10:03 pm Monday till Thursday morn. Early Tuesday can be stressful in dealing with Aries in particular, but re-assert control of the situation. An afternoon visit with a Taurus, or an early supper with same, is highly favored and mutually profitable. Early Wednesday is again stressful, when you may have to go to work early. But by midday everything looks peachy-keen. Disagreements flare up in the pm, but nothing that couldn't be resolved with a coin toss. Let your wife choose and get the takeout supper.

AQUARIUS - Jan. 20-Feb. 17 – The Moon is in Aquarius from 5:42 am Thursday till Saturday afternoon. Midday Thursday can be quite confusing re messages; call to clarify if things are garbled. But this incident may prompt an insight that you want to make note of. Late night can be stressful in dealing with a Taurus or with home and family. Try to be a bit more flexible. Friday afternoon favors matters related to law or publishing or college; placement testing should go well. Try to imagine new ways of interacting with a mate or parent; consider a marriage enrichment seminar. The Moon-Neptune conjunction in Aquarius says splurge on the film fest Sat. afternoon.

PISCES - Feb. 18-March 19 – The Moon enters Pisces at 3:26 pm Saturday, and stays thru the weekend. Your weekend may be slow in getting started, but get any chores out of the way first. You'll enjoy a long chat with a friend Saturday night, tho at times you may feel talked AT instead of TO. A late buffet would be nice, or you you're both dieting, you might give each other spa treatments on feet or hands. Mercury enters your solar seventh house this week; don't be surprised if your mate is suddenly a lot more peripatetic than usual.

Your Milky Way Horoscope Aug. 28-Sept. 3, 2011

2011-08-21T12:06:00.000-07:00

By Milky Way Maid

Sun in Virgo is trine Pluto in Capricorn at 11:12 am Sunday. We may be called upon to be the pillar of strength under this aspect. Well, it never hurts to have your first aid kit ready to render assistance to anyone in need. I worry about that nasty Mars square Saturn which is still in effect, too, on top of this kind of transit. Hope any personal crisis is relatively minor. If you need any affirmations to help strengthen your resolve, try the About website: http://healing.about.com/od/affirmations/tp/daily-affirmations.htm, or you might try the Louise Hay site, too: http://www.louisehay.com/affirmations/

We have a New Moon at 1:11 pm Sunday when the Moon conjoins the Sun at 15 degrees, 47 minutes of Virgo. The Sun-Moon oppose Chiron, and trine Pluto; this may suggest surgery or some major medical intervention. The Moon applies to a conjunction with Venus in Virgo hours later, and trines Jupiter in Taurus. This tends to favor just letting yourself be taken care of as your practitioners see fit. All will be well.

Jupiter stations retrograde at 5:17 am Tuesday at 10 degrees, 21 minutes Taurus. Venus in Virgo trines Jupiter a couple hours earlier at 2:36 am Tuesday. The fact that Jupiter is stationing only adds to the power of this aspect. Wishes can come true under this trine (or under a conjunction), with Venus whispering advice on how to attract the things you want. You may feel a bit like you are on vacation --- ahead of the Labor day weekend; maybe it might not be a bad idea to extend the long weekend a bit and just enjoy what remains of summer.

The Sun in Virgo trines Jupiter in Taurus at 11:59 pm Friday. Some astrologers believe that a retrograde planet in aspect only intensifies the effect of that aspect. The spotlight might shine on you today, possibly due to the tremendous luck this aspect can bring. Well, I have learned to count luck in many ways; sometimes it has meant just being able to find an item at a price I can afford. So thank your lucky stars no matter what level of good fortune it delivers on your doorstep.

PS – I am listing a few used astrology books for sale on Amazon Books; Part Two was posted July 1! Look for reviews in my column with a link to the listing. Even more titles to come soon. Thanks for your support (and patience). Note that the Intuition book, listed in Part One, has sold.
ALSO – see my popular article on late degrees of all the signs. Link: http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2008/08/15/planets-in-late-degrees-what-do-they-mean/
ALSO – see new article on The Goddess Archetypes: The Pallas Athena Myth at http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/the-goddess-archetypes-the-pallas-athena-myth/
ALSO – check out Astrology.com -- free lessons online

Readers can follow not only their Sun sign horoscope but also the sign of their Ascendant for further clues to how your week will develop. Also note: some aspects are exact on a weekend but may find opportunity for expression on the Friday or Monday nearest the exact aspect. Times given are in Eastern Standard or Eastern Daylight Savings Time depending on the season.

ARIES - March 20-April 19 – The New Moon will impact health issues (your solar sixth house); if I know you, you prefer to just get things over and done with, and I think that is best in this case. Your hobby may bring some welcome cash on Monday. In fact, a lady in uniform may be quite helpful. Marital friction might mar midweek, but Friday looks like a very harmonious day in general. On Saturday, don't count on getting much done with the kids underfoot.

TAURUS - April 20-May 20 – The New Moon will impact romance, children, and artistic expression (your solar fifth house). Best days this week may be Monday and Tuesday. Jupiter makes a station on Tuesday in your solar first house of self; well, Jove here bodes poorly for sticking to a diet, but you are willing to expand your “sphere of influence” this is a great transit. Be brave enough to get out of your easy chair long enough to look around for things to get involved in.

GEMINI - May 21-June 20 - The New Moon will impact home and family matters (your solar fourth house); try to give adult children the room to make their own mistakes, and don't take it so personally if they do fall. Monday, you feel like just cocooning in your home's den and zoning out. On Wednesday you may have to play the taskmaster with the kids --- or ringmaster of the household circus. Thursday favors getting a second opinion on a medical question or possibly going to a medical school where student interns analyze your case.

CANCER - June 21-July 22 - The New Moon will impact siblings and neighbors and daily life (your solar third house); be cautious about sharing too much personal information with those outside the immediate family circle. Tuesday may be tense when it comes to trying to balance work and family; juggle, juggle (and deep breaths). Wednesday night may produce some wasted effort but you may be too aggravated to sit still. Thursday favors getting that sports exam out of the way so that the kids can participate in any school activities.

LEO - July 23-Aug. 22 – The Moon is in Leo as the week begins, but only for Sunday morning. The Moon opposes Neptune midday Sunday, favoring a movie matinee, or just hanging out by the pool/beach; grab the last weeks of summer while you can. A New Moon in your solar second house of finances on Sunday cautions you to keep a tight hold on expenditures. Jupiter stations in your career house early Tuesday, with a trine to Venus, so by all means do a favor for someone who may turn out to be a great networking contact.

VIRGO - Aug. 23-Sept. 22 – The Moon is in Virgo from 2:13 pm Sunday till Tuesday afternoon. A New Moon in your solar first house generally offers a chance to start fresh; however, take care this time and use someone as a sounding board before making irreversible decisions. Monday morning brings an opportunity for women to do favors for each other like pet-sitting, etc. You will have plenty of energy Monday night for a workout or any project. A Jupiter station in your solar ninth house can mean a favorable decision re legal issues or from a publisher.

LIBRA - Sept. 23-Oct. 22 – The Moon is in Libra from 2:25 pm Tuesday till Thursday afternoon. Be prepared for any changes of plans on Tuesday night; you can notify people of cancellations or rescheduling with your usual aplomb. Some things you just have no control over so don't get worked up about it. You want to do your duty Wednesday without getting emotionally involved, but try to add a personal touch. Midday Thursday is made for doing random acts of kindness, or if you are on vacation just going to the movies.

SCORPIO - Oct. 23-Nov. 21 – The Moon is in Scorpio from 2:48 pm Thursday till Saturday. Thursday night favors seeing an alternative health practitioner, possibly an acupuncturist. Your mate will be in a generous mood Friday morn, but try not to take advantage too much. Meet a friend for a late lunch or visit the jewelry/perfume counter. A late night with your spouse and friends looks very lucky on Friday. Early Saturday you focus on your chores and email, but the pm may be spent on worrying -- distract yourself with movies or charitable projects.

SAGITTARIUS - Nov. 22-Dec. 21 – A New Moon in Virgo Sunday prompts you to do something about your career goals (your solar tenth house), but it would be well to talk things over with a mentor before starting half-baked ideas. Tuesday offers a chance to catch up on errands and messages if you stick to your list. The Moon is in Sag from 5:03 pm Saturday till Labor Day evening. You just want to feel the wind in your hair all weekend.

CAPRICORN - Dec. 22-Jan. 19 - The New Moon will impact legal and publishing matters (your solar ninth house); you may have to closely follow your lawyer's activities to keep things on track. Best days this week may be Monday and Tuesday. Jupiter makes a station on Tuesday in your solar fifth house of children and creative expression; with the trine to Venus, your artistic output may garner favorable reviews. However, work/career matters may require long hours and hard work Tuesday.

AQUARIUS - Jan. 20-Feb. 17 - The New Moon will impact estate and insurance issues (your solar eighth house); make sure you understand your rights and coverages, and seek help if a carrier will not pay a bill. Jupiter makes a station on Tuesday in your solar fourth house of home and family; you may wish to expend a lot of money in renovation or decoration of the homestead altho I wonder if this is really a favorable time to do that, economically. But family members should all get some favorable news this month if not this week.

PISCES - Feb. 18-March 19 - The New Moon will impact relationship issues (your solar seventh house); you may have to face problems with some sound couples therapy. Jupiter makes a station in your solar house of siblings, relatives and neighbors; be happy for the good fortunes of those close to you. Friday looks very harmonious in general, so plan any outings, gatherings, or cookouts. Saturday requires some mental adjustments so just be flexible.

Your Milky Way Horoscope Aug. 21-27, 2011

2011-08-15T08:04:00.000-07:00

By Milky Way Maid

Venus in Leo opposes Neptune at 9:39 am Sunday at 29 degrees Aquarius; this is soon followed by the Sun opposition to Neptune at 7:26 pm Monday. Those Neptune aspects, within days of a Mercury station, can be treacherous times to do any business with anyone. Take plenty of time to check out new potential associates.

The Sun enters Virgo at 7:21 am Tuesday. Happy birthday to all Virgo natives! Be careful early in your solar year, though, as Chiron is lurking in opposition to your natal planets, in early Pisces. You may have to spend at least part of the year dealing with injury or a health problem. So look around your home and garage for accidents just waiting to happen, and be proactive.

Mars in Cancer squares Saturn at 14 degrees Libra at 6:46 am Thursday. Mars-Saturn squares are classic signatures for broken bones, if they contact natal planets. Be safety conscious. In more general terms, these planets can factor into balancing fear of failure with your ambitions.

Yay, Mercury goes direct at 6:03 pm Friday, while stationing at 18 degrees 45 minutes of Leo. OK, you can breathe again, those of you who are such wusses while Mercury is retro. It is kind of worrisome that the station is opposite the Full Moon in Aquarius of August 13, which in turn saw the Moon oppose the Sun and Venus both in Leo. Fixed sign natives are probably going to be stressed over miscarried mail, messages, or verbal communications.

Sun in Virgo is inconjunct Uranus in Aries at 3:24 am Saturday. Be sure to wear helmets if engaging in sports or riding recreational vehicles of any kind. And if dealing with electrical wiring or gadgetry, please leave it to the pros for now. You may feel rebellious, and even try to fight City Hall. If that goes nowhere, don't blame me.

Juno and Vesta trine each other this week in air signs Libra and Aquarius, respectively. Air signs may invest their energies in support of spouses or other partners, over and above the usual sacrifices that partnerships always entail. All for love, or something like that. Just send a bill at the end of this mission totaling your hours, with N/C at the bottom --- to make your partner appreciate how much you do.

PS – I am listing a few used astrology books for sale on Amazon Books; Part Two was posted July 1! Look for reviews in my column with a link to the listing. Even more titles to come soon. Thanks for your support (and patience). Note that the Intuition book, listed in Part One, has sold.
ALSO – see my popular article on late degrees of all the signs. Link: http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2008/08/15/planets-in-late-degrees-what-do-they-mean/
ALSO – see new article on The Goddess Archetypes: The Pallas Athena Myth at http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/the-goddess-archetypes-the-pallas-athena-myth/
ALSO – check out Astrology.com -- free lessons online

Readers can follow not only their Sun sign horoscope but also the sign of their Ascendant for further clues to how your week will develop. Also note: some aspects are exact on a weekend but may find opportunity for expression on the Friday or Monday nearest the exact aspect. Times given are in Eastern Standard or Eastern Daylight Savings Time depending on the season.

ARIES - March 20-April 19 – Night owls among you may get lots of email and other correspondence done late Monday. Thursday morn is caution time; have adequate lighting on stairs or hallways, etc. Nothing's worse than slipping on your fanny just as you're stepping out the door. That romantic interest who disappeared for the last three weeks may suddenly pop up and start chatting as if nothing had happened, now that Mercury is in forward motion again (as of Friday).

TAURUS - April 20-May 20 – The Moon is in Taurus as the week begins, but only till Sunday night. Try not to sound too whiny at the Sunday supper hour; and your anxious mood later that evening could get tiresome. Snap out of it! Sun and Venus enters your solar fifth house this week; this promises pleasant times with children or pursuing creative interests. If evaluating romantic others, try not to toss out candidates who are imperfect, since as human beings we are all imperfect.

GEMINI - May 21-June 20 – The Moon is in Gemini from 8:53 pm Sunday till Wednesday morn. Someone may not be able to return the favor you do, but just tell them to pay it forward. You might do another random act of kindness early Wednesday; you're building up your karma fund. . . Tuesday morning is especially busy with calls-chatting-messages. Time to go into super multi-tasking mode. Sun and Venus enter your solar fourth house of home this week, where you may host pleasant visitors or throw dinner parties. Also this week keep an eagle eye on finance matters especially debt or fees which can make for ugly surprises.

CANCER - June 21-July 22 – The Moon is in Cancer from 6:31 am Wednesday till midday Friday. Wednesday morn and midday are very pleasant, when you may bring in treats for coworkers. The afternoon however may find you antsy to get out of the office, so maybe you can schedule a late lunch with a client. Thursday morn is caution time; have adequate lighting on stairs or hallways, etc. Nothing's worse than slipping on your fanny just as you're stepping out the door. The evening is fine for an intriguing night out with your mate.

LEO - July 23-Aug. 22 – Sun and Venus enter your solar second house, where a new attention to detail will pay off in savings. Try not to toss out lucrative offers just because every detail is not perfect. The Moon is in Leo from 12:09 pm Friday thru the weekend. Mercury goes direct in your sign Friday about 6 pm; your speech and motion may suddenly speed up, sometimes your speech could be too fast to be intelligible. Make notes to keep track of all the thoughts whizzing thru your brain. If setting off on a trip Friday, you will really appreciate the sense of the wind in your hair, breaking free from routines and all that.

VIRGO - Aug. 23-Sept. 22 – Night owls among you may stay up late Monday getting work or craft projects done. The Sun and Venus enter your sign this week. Hey, happy birthday and may you live to be 100, and fastidious Virgoes have a good shot at doing that. Neptune in opposition suggests spending lots of time with your mate making wonderful memories; take a last summer weekend trip to the shore and practice skipping stones.

LIBRA - Sept. 23-Oct. 22 – Night owls among you may stay up late Monday scribbling your latest book. Thursday morn is caution time; have adequate lighting on stairs or hallways, etc. Nothing's worse than slipping on your fanny just as you're stepping out the door. Mercury goes direct in your solar eleventh house of friends on Friday; pals you have not seen for ages suddenly call up. Also your clubs and other groups may become the focus of more activity.

SCORPIO - Oct. 23-Nov. 21 – Sunday can be quite stressful re partnership issues and career demands; you may be dashing back and forth all week trying to keep everyone happy. Keep close tabs on children this week, who may need to be carted around for school orientation or supply replenishment. Career matters that have been frozen for the past three weeks suddenly move very quickly, now that Mercury goes forward again (as of Friday).

SAGITTARIUS - Nov. 22-Dec. 21 – Night owls among you may stay up late Monday conferring with friends. Comb thru insurance or other finance papers by Thursday to avoid late fees or losing out on insurance reimbursement of a covered expense. Legal or publishing matters that have been frozen for the past three weeks suddenly start moving very quickly, now that Mercury goes forward again (as of Friday).

CAPRICORN - Dec. 22-Jan. 19 – Night owls among you may work late Monday night. Thursday morn is caution time; have adequate lighting on stairs or hallways, etc. Nothing's worse than slipping on your fanny just as you're stepping out the door. Insurance or estate matters that have been frozen for the past three weeks suddenly move very quickly, now that Mercury goes forward again (as of Friday).

AQUARIUS - Jan. 20-Feb. 17 – Sunday may be stressful at home, and absenting yourself will not help matters. I see you staying up late Monday just to finish that cool novel. An elder sibling may need emergency assistance on Thursday; hmm, should you charge him/her? That elusive Other who disappeared for the past three weeks may suddenly pop up and start chatting as if nothing had happened, now that Mercury is in forward motion again (as of Friday).

PISCES - Feb. 18-March 19 – Sun and Venus enter your solar seventh house of partners this week; your mate is lovely as ever, and you may be thrust in the public eye in some way. Thursday may be a caution day: be extra safety-conscious, and be on call to help a friend in an emergency. Work that had been interrupted for the past three weeks suddenly moves very quickly, now that Mercury goes forward again (as of Friday). Also get back into your exercise routine asap.

The Goddess Archetypes: The Ceres Myth

2011-08-07T13:24:00.000-07:00

Your Milky Way Horoscope Aug. 14-20, 2011

2011-08-07T13:21:00.000-07:00

By Milky Way Maid

Can you get married in a hurry? (OK, just joking!) Sun is conjunct Venus at 22 degrees Leo at 8:08 am Tuesday, Aug. 16. My parents got married on a Sun conjunct Venus, and stayed married 50 years till my father died. Venus helps you find favor with others, especially those that you love very much. Venus helps you relate in a harmonious way and exercise some diplomacy. Remember your p's and q's. Leo usually has strong opinions but maybe Venus helps him phrase things a bit more diplomatically.

Mercury is conjunct Venus the same day, at 7:21 pm. In the world of Wall Street and commerce in general, this conjunction represents the buyer who finds good value (Venus) for the buck when shopping for anything from books to stocks to office supplies to furnishings. Mercury with Venus is also excellent for schmoozing, the small talk and good manners that grease the social wheels-- so if there is someone you need a favor or reference from, now is a great time to do it.
Sun is conjunct Mercury in Leo at 9:04 pm Tuesday. It's a very busy time, in general, and with Leo present, someone is going to get the microphone in his face and hog the spotlight. But with Mercury retrograde, it is too easy to misspeak or get misquoted.

Mars in Cancer sextiles Jupiter at 10 degrees Taurus at 12:49 pm Thursday. Mars-Jupiter aspects favor sports, taking calculated risks, and taking advantage of opportunities. Jove adds a bit of luck so if you have natal planets touched by this aspect, take a gander with your pin money.

NEXT Sunday morning, Venus in Leo opposes Neptune at 29 degrees Aquarius at 9:39 am, Aug. 21. This is one aspect where someone may be scamming you, so do not sign any contracts now. It is fine for just enjoying the show that some performer puts on, so go to a film fest or something.

MERCURY is still retrograde; it will station direct on Aug. 26.
PS – I am listing a few used astrology books for sale on Amazon Books; Part Two was posted July 1! Look for reviews in my column with a link to the listing. Even more titles to come soon. Thanks for your support (and patience). Note that the Intuition book, listed in Part One, has sold.

ALSO – see my popular article on late degrees of all the signs. Link: http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2008/08/15/planets-in-late-degrees-what-do-they-mean/
ALSO – check out Astrology.com -- free lessons online

Readers can follow not only their Sun sign horoscope but also the sign of their Ascendant for further clues to how your week will develop. Also note: some aspects are exact on a weekend but may find opportunity for expression on the Friday or Monday nearest the exact aspect. Times given are in Eastern Standard or Eastern Daylight Savings Time depending on the season.

ARIES - March 20-April 19 – Tuesday has a series of conjunctions in compatible Leo; spend time with the kids or dabbling in artistic projects. The Moon is in Aries from 8:01 pm Tuesday till Friday morn. Tuesday night favors sports or creativity, especially if performing or speaking is involved. Wednesday could be stressful as you try to make both your boss and your family happy. Thursday is much more favorable for spending time with the kids, whether playing or taking a family jaunt. Friday morning is made for doing random acts of kindness.

TAURUS - April 20-May 20 – Venus smiles on your homelife on Tuesday, and Jupiter gives you a boost on Thursday. The Moon is in Taurus (where it is exalted) from 8:36 am Friday till next Sunday night. Friday pm favors having a powerful ally/advocate handling legal matters for you. You could easily overdo Sat. breakfast if you visit that scrumptious buffet. Sat. morning finds you full of energy to accomplish your “to-do” list early. You probably won't feel warm 'n' fuzzy towards service people but they are just doing their jobs. Phrase messages carefully Saturday night, and read your mail twice. Mercury can play tricks!

GEMINI - May 21-June 20 – Tuesday morn favors short trips with loved ones, or shopping for fine editions of classic books. You may be so pleased to be invited to express you opinions on Tuesday night, but beware Mercury retrograde and have your notes to refer to. On Thursday you might make a profit on a small private bet. Friday favors a wonderful time on a jaunt either with friends or something sponsored by a club you belong to. On Saturday you might try to repeat your little coup of Thursday, but success is not as assured.

CANCER - June 21-July 22 – Your solar second house of money is active this week with all the conjunctions in Leo; Tuesday morning is best, but tricky Mercury retrograde may take back any earnings the same evening. Wednesday is sure to be plenty stressful but try to hold your temper. Things will look much better on Thursday, plus at midday the stars favor teaming up with a friend for a game of doubles tennis (or any other sport or game you prefer). On Saturday you will have plenty of energy to play with friends or spend time on club projects.

LEO - July 23-Aug. 22 – What a week this should be for you, with a series of conjunctions in your sign on Tuesday. Getting married? That's the day for it. Just shopping? Looks good for that also, although Mercury retrograde may play a trick in the evening. Your mind may worry over legal matters Wednesday, but you won't get advice or good news till Thursday. You can focus on work a bit better Friday. Saturday morn is actually pretty good for career matters, if you have to go in. Otherwise playing sports or games in your own back yard is lots of fun; grab the last of summer while you can.

VIRGO - Aug. 23-Sept. 22 – On Sunday your mate decides you need to spend more time with the kids, so guess what? That's what you're gonna do. Late Tuesday does not favor making decisions or communications, due to the tricky Mercury retrograde aspect. Wednesday could be very stressful for a lot of people and you may have to deal with upset customers, etc. Thursday afternoon favors outings with friends or the children. Friday night is excellent for starting any building or other personal project.

LIBRA - Sept. 23-Oct. 22 – On Monday you find that the insurance covers your whole medical visit. On Tuesday you can beam as your best friend gets married or finally gets a break. Wednesday will probably be very stressful and you won't be able to reach helpful friends till Thursday; hand in there. Friday favors just spending time with the kids and mate, preferably by the water. On Saturday you probably feel like catching up with your work, but try not to take home too much paperwork.

SCORPIO - Oct. 23-Nov. 21 – Assuming this is vacation week, Monday morning is wonderful for spending time with your mate and kids. Your career gets a nice boost (possibly a raise or some token of appreciation) on Tuesday. On Wednesday you may be forced to pay attention to health matters; best to just get it over with. A modest gamble may pay off midday Thursday, especially if your mate suggests it. On Friday the focus shifts to relationships. Also consult a lawyer late Friday. Indulge your mate on Saturday morning, since she's been so good to you.

SAGITTARIUS - Nov. 22-Dec. 21 – A monetary settlement could be awarded Tuesday, the result of a legal dispute. (alternatively if you have a publishing project, your manuscript may find favor with editors) Wednesday can be stressful especially if dealing with insurance matters. Thursday is probably the best day of the week, favoring spending time with the kids or on creative outlets. Friday looks good for a jaunt with the children, or taking the camera or easel to capture the last of summer beauty.

CAPRICORN - Dec. 22-Jan. 19 – Something related to insurance matters promises a boon; perhaps you can find a policy with a return of premium rider. Wednesday looks pretty stressful, but you could make a power play. Make time Thursday to watch a child's softball game. Friday night favors starting on a building or other project. Saturday morn looks fine for enjoying the kids, possibly on a family outing.

AQUARIUS - Jan. 20-Feb. 17 – The Moon is in Aquarius as the week begins- but only for the early morning. The Moon is conjunct Neptune Sunday morning; you may actually enjoy a church service since your mind is oriented toward spiritual matters; also I should warn you that your intuition may be revved up so definitely pay attention to stray thoughts, those soft whispers at the back of your mind.

PISCES - Feb. 18-March 19 – The Moon is in Pisces from 8:54 am Sunday till Tuesday night. It may be hard to settle down to sleep Sunday night since your “engine” is revved up on high; try to get yourself tired out with sports, etc. before nightfall. Midday Monday calls for accepting the rules as they are. But Wednesday you can adjust to discomfort by moving the furniture, literally or metaphorically. Thursday favors attending a game or playing sports with the kids.

The Goddess Archetypes: The Vesta Myth

2011-07-31T10:26:00.001-07:00

by Milky Way Maid

Recently I posted some brief entries on the asteroid goddesses; one was on a historical note regarding responsibilities held by the Vestal Virgins. Today I want to go back to the original myths and try to tease out some themes pertaining to each of these goddesses. (For this series of articles I am using the excellent Goddesses in Every Woman, by Jean Shinoda Bolen, M.D.)
Next up: Vesta, aka Hestia. Let's go up close and personal with Vesta, as we trace her life from birth onwards.

Vesta was the oldest Olympian, just as Mercury was the youngest. She was the first to be swallowed up by her father, and the last to be disgorged when Zeus rescued them all (Bolen, p. 118). Therefore she spent the most time sequestered away from the world, and this became her preferred milieu you might say.

PEDIGREE: First child of Rhea and Cronos. Was oldest sister to first-generation Olympians, and maiden aunt to the second-generation (including Mercury). She had a claim to a home on Mount Olympus yet was never found there; her spot was eventually claimed by the upstart Dionysus, but she did not protest.

HABITAT: At home, always at home. Never shopping in the agora, I mean mall. Quite happy puttering around the house doing chores, or focusing on her own spiritual development. Lets the world go away, far away. As the spirit of the home, she represents home and family as a sanctuary from the cares and stresses of the world.

FASHION STATEMENT: Never depicted in in human form, at least, by painters or sculptors, so we have no portraits per se; she is more a spirit than a living goddess. Young girls' heads were clipped when they first entered the temple, and all of them were dressed in the same simple robes. Sorry, no fashion plate here, no jewelry, no nothing. We could call it ashram chic, I suppose.

SYMBOLOGY: Her symbols are often found together with those for Mercury aka Hermes. Often her symbol, a circle, hearth or ring, became a symbol for the feminine principle itself, while the pillar (adorned with male genitalia, the pillar was called a herm) became the paired symbol for the masculine principle. (Hearths and her first temples were round.) A Hindu counterpart that expresses this yin-yang pairing is the yoni (ring) and lingam. Hestia is the soul, and Mercurius was the alchemical spirit envisioned as elemental fire; together the represent spirit setting the soul on fire. This mystical fire “was considered the source of mystical knowledge, symbolically located at the center of the earth” (Bolen, p. 115).
She might be thought of as a candle in the wind, lighting her little fire one at a time to bring warmth, order and light to every household. She is a spirit yet grounded in the reality of earth-bound life, grounded by her rituals that make what would be drudgery, into sacred duties.
Another symbol besides the circle is the mandala, an aid in meditation to take one further into one's real, inner self.
Animals: Deer and donkey. Bird: Nightingale, ibis. Insect: Spider. Tree: Laurel and oak. Emblem: Tripod. Pictured as nun or monk. Chakra: Pineal gland. Color: Ruby or lilac/amethyst. Direction: North. Element: Fire. Number: 144. Ray: First ray of will to do good, or the seventh ray of ritual. Icon: five-pointed star (which also happens to be Venus' symbol).

RULERSHIPS: Hestia-Vesta is the goddess of the hearth, or more specifically the sacred fire itself in the hearth. A house or temple was not consecrated until the sacred fire (Vesta) entered. A bride's mother lit a torch from her hearth, which was carried to the bride's new home to consecrate it as it lit the home's first fires. Another ritual was conducted when infants were five days old, followed by a huge banquet.

In my earlier brief post, I related how the Vestal Virgins also had the duty of guarding the wills of citizens. Final testaments were stored all over their temple, with different sections for Romans, Italians, and those further afield. Furthermore, the VV's guarded the absolute privacy of the contents of these documents; no one could get a sneak peak at who was getting what from rich old Uncle Ned. So rather than security being under the domain of Vesta, I prefer to think that privacy itself was held inviolate by her maidens.

What other duties did she have? Geez, you can only do so much sweeping; but then again she finds a Zen-like harmony in putting a house in order. She also meditated; she focused on the “inner subjective experience” to use the words of Dr. Bolen. Like nuns, she performs all her work in the service of God. But we need to be able to get in touch with our real, inner selves to keep from being swept away in the onslaught of stimuli, phone calls, emails, advertising, and everything else that assaults our senses and judgment. Tranquility and solitude are preferable to the hustle-bustle of our cities. As the spirit of the home, she represents home and family as a sanctuary from the cares and stresses of the world.

MARRIAGE: Well, here it gets sticky. A Vestal Virgin who had relations with a man was guilty of desecrating the goddess, and was buried alive. Yikes! Hestia was courted by both Poseidon and Apollo, both suitors having had spells cast on them (by Aphrodite) to find demure Hestia desirable. But Hestia said nay to both and vowed to forever stay celibate.

However, Vesta-Hestia and Mercury-Hermes had a very unusual partnership. His pillar stood at the doorway, just as nowadays an intercom or some kind of communication or alarm system marks the threshold of public and private space. In many homes the family dog is the furry alarm, barking to announce a visitor. Mercury-Hermes not only announced visitors but kept distraction away so she could focus on her duties.
Taking care of her house and family provides meaning for Vesta; she notices that children are calmer and do better in school when the house is run in an orderly fashion. She is not generally ambitious for herself or her husband, but is content with what they have. She is not a servant to her family, let me make that clear. She serves but is not a servant. She does not need a husband or children to be fulfilled, and yet family life is fulfilling for each member of the family.
Dr. Bolen notes that “many contented traditional marriages are unions of a Hermes husband, who is a businessman-traveler-communicator-entrepreneur agilely negotiating the outside world, and a Hestia wife, who keeps the home fires burning” (Bolen, p. 123). Each spouse is allowed to do what makes them happy and trusts that their partner is holding up their end of the deal.

PERSONALITY: A Vesta-like girl may be very good at not being noticed! She may seemingly disappear even when in the same room with you. These daughters may seem to be pliable and compliant; they will do their chores and homework and then amuse themselves in their rooms quite happily.

Parents would do well to allow her some solitude, but also coach her in manners and deportment. Tell her what to say to Uncle Joe when they go visit, and so forth. She is quite capable of learning to be comfortable in any social situation, with people of all ages. She just doesn't get too worked up if someone appears to not like her. She appears to be detached, sometimes even apathetic, but what she is, is centered in herself.
Assuming she does not enter a convent or ashram, a modern Vesta-type woman needs to acquire other skills and personas, usually via another goddess archetype like Ceres, Juno, Athena, Aphrodite, etc. The goddess Hestia, as Dr. Bolen points out, did not compete for golden apples or choose sides in the Trojan War. Now it can be very useful to be the one person in the office who stays above the fray; the office politics will probably not target you, and you can gain the trust of all your coworkers.

No one person is a pure example of any one goddess archetype. We are all combinations of two or three major components and possibly some secondary modes. Vesta women do need to learn how to express those other aspects of themselves in a healthy way in order to feel at home in the world. Parents should given their children a variety of experiences, including outdoor sports, summer camps, hobby clubs, music, academics, and creative outlets.
But Vesta will ever be in the world, but not of the world. And there is nothing wrong with that.

How might Vesta, the asteroid, operate in the various houses? The question becomes, where does she sacrifice herself in service to others? First House: Insecure in her own ego, Vesta in the first is self-effacing and self-abnegating. May give all the credit to her staff or crew or assistants. Second House: May be better at managing other people's money than her own, because it is a sacred trust. May be good at being club treasurer, accountant or banker for that reason. Third House: Often gives the impression of being very solemn as a child, or older than her years. Becomes a good scholar as she matures. May teach children with learning disabilities. Fourth House: This is where she prefers to be, where she can uphold the traditional values of home and family. May wind up taking care of a senior or invalid family member at some point. Fifth House: This position may deny one children or the pleasure of children. If she has children, is kept too busy with work or other commitments to spend much time with them. May lose the ability to have fun, becoming less interested in amusement parks, spectator sports, etc. as she gets older. Sixth House: These natives will serve and sacrifice for their work. May be involved in remedial education, public health, visiting nurse, etc. Is usually very dedicated to her students/patients/wards. Seventh House: May take on the responsibility for the success or failure of a relationship, rightly or wrongly. Quite willing to be the silent partner in marriage or business. Eighth House: Spiritual lessons in relying too much on pooled resources (insurance, estate bequests, lotteries, the partner's money). Again, may be better at managing others' money than one's own. Ninth House: Less likely to travel for pleasure; this is the type who will give away her boarding pass to someone who has to go somewhere on an emergency. Has ability with philosophy, law, and higher education, generally turned toward civil rights and fighting for the poor and down trodden. Tenth House: More likely to go into public service rather than the private sector, and non-profit or service organizations rather than manufacturing, etc. Eleventh House: Is willing to sacrifice personal ambitions and pleasures for humanitarian goals, for a group or club or organization. Twelfth House: May be involved in hospice or hospital service corps. May visit prisoners or people in other kinds of confinement.

PLEASE ALSO SEE: Article on the Pallas Athena myth and archetype at http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/the-goddess-archetypes-the-pallas-athena-myth/

Your Milky Way Horoscope Aug. 7-13, 2011

2011-07-31T10:25:00.001-07:00

By Milky Way Maid

Venus in Leo sextiles Saturn at 12 degrees Libra at 10:19 pm Sunday. You may receive a few words of kind advice, possibly from an older person or mentor. Venus softens your ambitions, putting the velvet glove on your iron fist. It always pays to be polite, send the thank-you note for the interview, etc.
Mercury (retrograde now) enters Leo again at 5:46 am Monday. Mercury also opposes Neptune in Aquarius at 10:27 am the same day. Mercury-Neptune can be confused thinking or wishful thinking, BUT it can also be magic words. Try to cook up a neat affirmation for your particular situation. Caution: do not sign anything under such a transit.
Mars in Cancer squares Uranus at 4 degrees Aries at 12:33 pm Tuesday. This would be a volatile, even explosive aspect but I think that watery Cancer dampens the volatile elements. People with a lot of natal planets in cardinal signs are going to be pretty stressed this week. If that applies to you, try to pamper yourself with a massage or exercise or whatever you like to do to combat stress. And if you work with someone affected by this aspect, be kind, give them the benefit of the doubt, let them take a little time off work if possible.
Mars in Cancer then opposes Pluto at 5 degrees Capricorn at 1:14 am Thursday, forming a tough T-square of all malefic planets. There's no give with Pluto present here. You may just lose it, tell someone to take a hike. Well, if you are better off without that person, then OK. Some people just bring out the worst in each other. But think carefully before speaking.

PS – I am listing a few used astrology books for sale on Amazon Books; Part Two was posted July 1! Look for reviews in my column with a link to the listing. Even more titles to come soon. Thanks for your support (and patience). Note that the Intuition book, listed in Part One, has sold.
ALSO – see my popular article on late degrees of all the signs. Link: http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2008/08/15/planets-in-late-degrees-what-do-they-mean/
ALSO – check out Astrology.com -- free lessons online

Readers can follow not only their Sun sign horoscope but also the sign of their Ascendant for further clues to how your week will develop. Also note: some aspects are exact on a weekend but may find opportunity for expression on the Friday or Monday nearest the exact aspect. Times given are in Eastern Standard or Eastern Daylight Savings Time depending on the season.

ARIES - March 20-April 19 – The early part of the week is probably best, when the Moon is in compatible Sag. Plus Venus in Leo Sunday night may mean a lovely date (possibly formal) with your mate. Mercury reenters Leo in your solar fifth house Monday where it gives you a bit more determination in sports or games. Jupiter in your solar second house of money receives a wonderful trine Wednesday morn; possibly a bonus or pat on the back may be in the offing. But Friday could be awkward money-wise if you have not planned out your expenditures this week. (hide a 20 from yourself)

TAURUS - April 20-May 20 – Venus in your solar fourth house on Sunday favors hosting older people or mentors for a lovely evening. Mercury reenters Leo on Monday, when people may not appreciate loud voices or egotistical statements. Use caution when making short trips Monday especially, but all week. Map out your expenditures this week or there is the risk of running out of money by Friday. Check due dates on bills, too. Don't spend Saturday boo-hooing over lack of money/love/someone to talk to; ask a friend over for lunch.

GEMINI - May 21-June 20 – Sunday evening you may enjoy a date at a gallery, concert, or other art event. Mars in Cancer in your solar second house of money is getting a lot of stress this week (T-square with Pluto and Uranus). Try to shop for interest rates, fees, etc to build up your rainy-day fund. Best day may be Friday, when you might enjoy breakfast with a friend before work. On Saturday you may be involved with local politics or media events so look your best.

CANCER - June 21-July 22 – Sunday morning favors just lazing by the pool; may as well do some laps, too. Overall health, or your energy level, benefit from resolving a health problem on Mon-Tues. Do be careful all this week when handling electrical or mechanical items. On Wednesday morning, a friend and your spouse join forces for mutual benefits. Money issues are under discussion on Saturday.

LEO - July 23-Aug. 22 - You may receive a few words of kind advice, possibly from an older person or mentor Sunday night. Be a defensive driver this week and if there have been any warning lights on the car, have them checked out. Monday does not favor eloquent expression; practice any speeches beforehand. Thursday might be a creative day when you express your feelings. You may be in the spotlight Saturday but have the generosity to share it with the those who made it all possible.

VIRGO - Aug. 23-Sept. 22 – Sunday brunch may not be a great time to bring up things you've been meaning to discuss; maybe you should just wait a few weeks. Monday does not favor medical exams or lab tests; try to get Tuesday or at least something later in the week. Wednesday morn may be the best day of the week; you can be quite productive; legal matters are looking up, and you find emotional expression in creative pursuits. You might want to skip any club meetings this week; they may be prone to power struggles that you care nothing about.

LIBRA - Sept. 23-Oct. 22 – You may be called upon for friendly advice Sunday night; be kind. Saturn in your sign receives hard aspects on Wednesday, but much more favorable aspects on Monday morning, or very late Friday. You may be on the receiving end of the stresses indicated by the T-square this week (involving Mars, Uranus, Pluto). Just tell yourself that this probably does not apply to you personally and that others are just going thru a stressful week. Keep cool, and offer a helping hand if you can.

SCORPIO - Oct. 23-Nov. 21 – The Moon is in Scorpio till midday Sunday. Moon in Scorpio squares Neptune in late Aquarius at 11:14 am Sunday. People tend to feel lost, anxious, confused worried under such a transit; best to listen to soothing music or walk on a beach. Use caution when making short trips Monday especially, but all week. On Friday it's possible that you run into a harsh reality, maybe it's the morning after syndrome, but try not to hassle authority figures

SAGITTARIUS - Nov. 22-Dec. 21 – The Moon is in Sag from 11:21 am Sunday till Tuesday pm. You may be self-absorbed midday, but you will want the wind in your hair by dinner hour. Perhaps supper on the patio appeals. Mercury trines those with planets in late Sag on Monday; you may find a receptive audience, or news related to a legal matter arrives. Monday afternoon is quite pleasant; you may even receive a gift.

CAPRICORN - Dec. 22-Jan. 19 – The Moon is in Capricorn from 4:36 pm Tuesday till late Thursday. You too may be affected by the harsh T-square in effect all this week. Be careful when driving or handling any household electrical items (this may apply more to family members than to you personally); best to leave repairs to the pros. Jupiter in Taurus is in a generous mood with you Wednesday morn; you may plan a fun trip, but don't expect to get extra time off for it. Thursday is a day for adjusting to what is, or rearranging life's furniture if you can.

AQUARIUS - Jan. 20-Feb. 17 – The Moon is in Aquarius from 11:47 pm Thursday till next Sunday morn. Friday's commute-time radio brings a laugh. Frustrations mount during the workday because you have no outlet for excess energy; try taking a walk during breaks. You may have thoughts of expanding the family, you may be a bit over the top emotionally although in a good way. Late Friday might be good for a heart-to-heart chat with a loved one. Saturday you feel like just basking in the glow of your mate or other loved ones.

PISCES - Feb. 18-March 19 – Your mate may not be pleased Sunday if you are spending time at work rather than on family outings. Children or groups that you belong to may be sources of a great deal of stress this week, not that it affects you personally, but you always prefer to stay out of any power struggles. You might have to lay out some money on one or the other, probably on back-to-school supplies. Stick to you budget (which is always hard for you when the kids beg for whatever is the “in” thing) but you need to keep something in the rainy-day fund.

Started Job on Void of Course Moon, Oh My!

2011-07-28T11:52:00.000-07:00

By Milky Way Maid

In the course of discussing the Royal Wedding earlier this year (please see http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2011/06/15/that-big-fat-royal-wedding-and-whether-william-will-ever-be-king/) I mentioned that I once started a job on a void-of-course (hereinafter referred to as VOC moon) and that it worked out all right.

I finally managed to dig up the start time for that position and here are the pertinent details:

Start of Job, May 15, 2000, 2:30 pm CDT, Milwaukee, WI.
Curiously enough, the Moon was in Libra, not a sign where a VOC moon is favored for some events. Traditionally, the Moon functions OK if the VOC occurs in the signs of the Moon or Jupiter: Cancer, Taurus, Sagittarius, and Pisces.

One major factor in this chart, folks, is that the ascendant happens to be on my natal Jupiter, 21 degrees Virgo. I had forgotten that.

Moon, as I said, is in Libra at 26 degrees and in the second house. Pluto and Chiron are in the third house at 11 and 16 degrees, respectively, of Sagittarius; Pluto is on my natal Saturn. The fifth house is pretty crowded with the South Node (26 degrees Capricorn), Vesta (29 Capricorn), Neptune (6 Aquarius), Uranus (20 Aquarius), Part of Fortune (22 Aquarius) and Juno (22 Aquarius).

The ninth house is also supercharged with Venus at 18 Taurus (very close to my Sun), Jupiter at 19 Taurus (conjunct my Sun), Saturn at 21 Taurus, Sun at 25 Taurus, Mercury strong in Gemini (3 degrees), and Mars at 8 Gemini.

North Node is alone at 26 Cancer in the eleventh house, along with Pallas Athena at 14 Leo. Transpluto, for those who use those points, is at 24 Leo in the twelfth house.

Aspects to natal planets: Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn clustered on my natal Sun, as I mentioned above. Sun near my natal Venus. The Moon is inconjunct the Sun, and therefore also inconjunct my natal Venus.

Critical degrees: North Node at 26 degrees of Cancer is on a critical degree; I think this was an example of my being in the right place at the right time when applying for this job. I had just completed a couple classes in introductory computer and in medical terminology, intending to go on for a diploma in allied health science. However, I had to wait a terribly long time for a practicum to be scheduled, about three months, and there was just no way that I could see how to survive that long without an income. So I applied for a couple jobs and this one opened up.
The Node is at the midpoint of the Ascendant in Virgo, and the Sun-Saturn conjunction in Taurus. It also opposes Vesta, and is sesquiquadrate Pluto in the third house. Pluto in the third is I think reflective of our actual work handling 'paperwork' for an insurance company.

It was extremely helpful to have Mercury in Gemini for this job, which required one to be able to ramp up your production to keep up with paper submissions. I have found thru experience that three degrees of most signs is very positive for me, due to a key natal planet and ascendant at that degree.

Needless to say the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction in Taurus defined a new era for many people, and with several natal planets in Taurus, it really gave me a jump-start to a materially successful period like nothing I had ever had before. The conjunction squared Uranus, where virtually ALL the work was done on computer and the submissions had been imaged into the system.
The Sun and Moon are inconjunct. Hmmm, have to think about how that was reflected in the job. Well, there were difficulties dealing with other women in the department. Uranus is square the Sun, separating; it was continually stressful for me to deal with the job in general. I just wanted to hole up with my computer and forget the rest of it. The nodes are square the Moon; again, difficult women.

The Midheaven trines both the Moon and Uranus, all in air signs. Oh, this favored the handling of numbers and data and rules about handling different kinds of submissions. We had to calculate payments, line by line, very quickly.

Pluto opposes Mars. Hmmm again. Sounds like a lot of backstabbing and office politics, and there is always that no matter where you go or what kind of business you are in. Mars trines idealistic Neptune, tho, and I like to think that I helped change the attitudes of the girls from a close-mouthed, competitive environment to one where we shared tips freely.
I cannot say that this job was without rough spots. It was hard to work with the first supervisor that we had, who was rather, shall we say, a demanding and sharp-tongued woman. Our group was later transferred to the supervision of a younger woman when our shift was changed (start of new schedule Oct. 2, 2000, 7:30 am); in other words our group was merged with the regular day crew. There was difficulty getting used to the quality control team, who were not always professional about how they pointed out errors or demanded corrections. There were many days in the early going when I thought I would be let go along with others in our training group who did not make the final cuts.

To sum up, I stayed for six years and learned a great deal about the business, about getting used to modern phone networks, emails and other interoffice communications, and about dealing with meetings and updates in procedures. I was not happy being on the day crew, however, since I really did not care for the usual office “stuff” (food days, passing around memos and birthday cards, etc). You would think that with all those planets and asteroids in the fifth house that this would a party-type job, but I cannot think how that could possibly apply to this position.
Well, that's all I can think of right now to tell you about this supposedly disastrous job. It worked out just fine for me and I only left due to personal matters that were pretty much separate from the job or company.

The Goddess Archetypes: The Pallas Athena Myth

2011-07-28T11:49:00.000-07:00

by Milky Way Maid

Recently I posted some brief entries on the asteroid goddesses; one was on a historical note regarding responsibilities held by the Vestal Virgins. Today I want to go back to the original myths and try to tease out some themes pertaining to each of these goddesses. (For this series of articles I refer to the excellent Goddesses in Every Woman, by Jean Shinoda Bolen, M.D.) First up, Pallas Athena. Let's go up close and personal with Pallas Athena, as we trace her life from birth onwards.

PEDIGREE: Most of us know that Athena sprang full-grown from her father's (Zeus's) head. Most of us do NOT know that she did indeed have a mother, Metis, who had been swallowed by her father. So while Athena had a nonexistent relationship with mom, I am going to posit that her father incorporated some feminine or nurturing qualities in order to be a complete parent to his daughter. He carried her to term, he suffered labor pains, presumably he felt a parental bond. One might say that Zeus gave her life twice, once in impregnating her mother, and second when birthing her. That's a powerful bond.

Her mother, Metis, was the first consort to Zeus. She was known for her wisdom, a trait passed on to her famous daughter. By swallowing Metis, Zeus not only took on the role of mother to his daughter, he also made wisdom part of his own personality.

HABITAT: Definitely a city girl, Athena is not found wandering the wilderness or forests like Artemis, nor tending the hearth (and home) like Vesta, nor playing with the wild animals, nor the cultivated fields like Ceres. Her special city is Athens, the most civilized and democratic city of its time.

SYMBOLOGY: Often shown carrying an owl, a symbol of wisdom. Animals: Unicorn. Birds: Owl, cock. Insect: beetle or scarab. Emblem: shield or lance. Chakra: Heart center, representing philosophy. Colors: Indigo and lilac. Direction: East. Element: Water. Number: 72. Ray: Second ray of love and wisdom. Icon: six point star with a small triangle centered inside the inner pentagon.

FASHION STATEMENT: The only goddess portrayed wearing armor, she was charged with protecting her city, Athens. Only the visor of her helmet is pushed up to show her classically beautiful face. Therefore I feel that security matters are under the rulership of Pallas, in addition to military strategy. Does armor represent emotional invulnerability? Keeping her personal problems under wraps? I suppose it is akin to the general professionalism expected of most people in the workplace, ie no temper tantrums, no yelling or other outbursts, no talking about stuff outside the job, and all that.

She carries both spear and shield, with the other hand holding a spindle in the other (denoting her rulership of weaving and other domestic arts). This is an odd combination: martial and domestic arts, but she took civilization to a new level.

RULERSHIPS: Athena is the goddess of weavers, goldsmiths, potters, dressmakers. She invented the bridle to tame the horse and the yoke for oxen, plus taught the human race how to plow, build ships, and drive the chariot. She is also the goddess of hygiene, safeguarding public health. She is one smart cookie. And on top of that, she gave Athenians the olive tree.

SMARTY JONES: Athena took on her parents smarts, and became a sort of military advisor, counselor, campaign strategist, and personal cheering section. She helped Perseus, Bellerophon, and Jason to become the heroes that they are. She was involved in the strategy for fighting the Trojan War--- and she was not above planting a bit of misinformation to the other side.

WOMEN FRIENDS: Now, since she is completely her father's daughter, she rarely has close friendships with other women --- not with her mom Metis, not with any mother figure like Persephone with her mother Ceres, not with sisterly women like Artemis does. There was only one exception: Pallas. Pallas was a sisterly companion who was the victim of an unfortunate accident. They were playing a competitive game, and Athena's spear accidentally hit and killed her friend Pallas. After that, Athena took her friend's name as part of her own. Dr. Bolen feels that Athena's competitive drive can be fatal to her female friendships; she needs to find another gear, you might say, when hanging out with her women pals.

MARRIAGE: Athena types may or may not get married. Career women flock under her banner, whether they have their own business, work for a corporation, work in the political realm, or are in the halls of academia. But they do often get married to an up-an-comer type in business or politics, in which case they sublimate personal ambitions to provide key support in their husband's career. Jacqueline Kennedy was an example of the behind-the-throne type.

SISTERHOOD?: Dr. Bolen is quite clear that despite Athena's career ambitions, she is frankly NOT a women's libber type nor does she feel any sense of sisterhood with other women. That is the province of Artemis. Moreover, Dr. Bolen feels Athena is very much a supporter of the social/political status quo, as evidenced by her vote to acquit Orestes in the murder of his mother Clytemnestra. Back to that in a moment. She also condemned Arachne to life as a spider after she submitted her weaving in a contest with the goddess. This punishment was not meted out because of Arachne's temerity to challenge Athena in a contest of skill; it was because of the controversial subject matter of her tapestry. It depicted Zeus' peccadilloes in seducing Danae and Leda and Europa. How dare she point out the feet of clay of her personal hero, Zeus! So not only does Athena worship her father, she also has no sympathy whatsoever for whistle-blowers in general.

CRAFTY N SAVVY: Athena was the go-to person if you had a riddle or problem that your poor, feeble human brain could not figure out the solution to. She told Perseus how to master the fearsome Gorgon (look at it only via a mirror). She gave the equestrian and general, Bellerophon, a golden bridle to tame Pegasus with. She helped Jason and his crew build the famed ship Argo (no, not nailing boards together; with technical advice). She whispered tips and encouragement to Achilles. Like I said, she is one smart cookie. Athena might be compared to the frontier women who not only helped plow the fields but also wove the fabric for their clothing, as they and their mates wrested the land from the wilderness into a homestead.

LEGAL EAGLE: Now, back to that trial of Orestes. This is a very muddled issue in my mind because unfortunately Athena did not write a legal opinion on the case explaining her reasoning. Did she vote to acquit because this was a revenge killing? (Orestes' mother had killed his father) Did she sympathize with anyone who was faced with the death of a father? Did she think that perhaps Orestes was crippled by temporary insanity, and let him off on that plea? Or did she think that women should never strike out against their own husbands, no matter what the provocation?

A closer look at the story of Orestes: The house of Atreus was one of those supremely dysfunctional families. Orestes' mother, Clytemnestra, was cheating on her husband, King Agamemnon. Agamemnon returns from the Trojan War with his booty, the girl Cassandra. King and Queen go into the palace and the queen comes out all bloody after killing the king, saying it was revenge for his killing one of their children. Son Orestes is in the same boat as Hamlet, wondering if avenging his father extends to even the crime of killing a mother. So he goes to the oracles of Delphi, where Apollo himself tells him to kill both mom and her lover. Orestes does so, then wanders for some time in the wilderness before he goes to Athena to explain himself. Apollo is beside him to vouch for the fact that he ordered this vengeance killing. Athena, establishing a new order of mercy, acquitted Orestes, and the curse on the Atreus family was lifted.

So by looking closer at the story of Orestes, I believe we can say that Athena's brand of justice was tempered by MERCY, and that she realized the only way to end a cycle of murder was to stop the shedding of blood, both illicit and licit. She realized that even legally sanctioned murder must stop. Oh, it just occurred to me that Athena would be against the death penalty for that reason.

So there you have an overview of the legendary goddess Pallas Athena: smart n savvy, a skillful weaver and crafter and shipbuilder, a tamer of large animals (animal husbandry), a merciful judge, a military strategist, a political analyst, an ombudsman or consultant, city girl, ambitious career woman, competitive athlete and business-woman. Not a warm, fuzzy type with a dozen cats, and not a fashion plate who lives for the New York fashion shows. But a smart, wise woman of the world.

So many modern women who eschew marriage or just do not set a priority on getting married and having kids are accused of trying to be men. That is NOT TRUE. They follow another drummer, a female drummer who loves the challenges of trying to uphold civilization with laws, industry, education and high-quality craftwork. Oh, and olive trees.

Dave at AstroAmerica stated in a recent newsletter that Pallas Athena represents how we gained the father's approval. I might add that clues to HOW we were rewarded with that approval may be gleaned from the sign and house position of the asteroid. For example, my Pallas is in Aries; I feel that part of the meaning of this placement is that I was rewarded for taking the initiative in some things, in my childhood. For getting on that bike and learning to ride, for venturing down to the corner park alone, for upholstering that old chair, etc.

How might Pallas, the asteroid, operate in the various houses? First House: you feel rewarded for speaking up for yourself, for putting yourself out there and introducing yourself. Sometimes spread self too thin over too many projects. Second House: Pallas is not interested in wealth per se is good at saving and conserving. Will never sell out their reputations for personal gain. Third House: Pallas here might prompt you to go into education but probably not in the primary grades. Third House also rules the city, her favorite place, so you may be quite involved in local politics.

Fourth House: Pallas is not very domestic but she does run an organized household, like a military operation. She may be the pioneer type who not only weaves the fabric for clothing but also puts up food and helps with the plowing. Also rules security systems. May start a home-based business. Fifth House: Geez, Pallas is not much into fun n games nor into romance, so that leaves the arts. Particularly textile arts, but any work that is equal parts skill and craft like shipbuilding. Enjoys strategy games like chess and bridge rather than golf, etc. Sixth House: OK, now you're talking. Pallas is very much at home with any career where one wears a uniform: the military, nurses and doctors (especially public health personnel), and police. Also working in civil service may be the sort of Confucian duty that appeals to her.

Seventh House: You may be a very public person, someone who perhaps investigates consumer problems brought to your attention. You may be more known for the person you marry, and prefer to be the “power behind the throne.” In one case the placement of Pallas in the seventh showed the husband's occupation (Scorpio: he was a police detective). Eighth House: Management of pooled funds such as insurance, state lotteries, joint accounts. Also good for surgeons. Ninth House: Another one of Pallas' fave houses, where she can exercise her Legal Eagle savvy, get involved in academia, national or world politics, or heck, rule the world. She could do that.

Tenth House: Pallas here can easily handle being high in the executive boardrooms of major corporations. Eleventh House: here is a difficult place for Pallas because she is just not really chummy, doesn't hang out at the mall with friends, doesn't care too much for pure socializing. But she does excel at heading, organizing and fund-raising for charitable or non-profit groups. Twelfth House: Hmmm, not likely to be a fave place for Pallas although her rulership of hygiene may help her to run large hospitals or other medical facilities.
Next up: Vesta, aka Hestia.

Your Milky Way Horoscope July 31-Aug. 6, 2011

2011-07-24T13:22:00.000-07:00

By Milky Way Maid

Venus in Leo trines Uranus at 4 degrees Aries at 12:09 am Monday. What a witching hour, indeed! Possible interpretations include: Pleasant surprises re money; We declare our independence; Expect the unexpected. You may meet quite unusual people or foreigners and really hit it off with them.
Maybe you might back off from making any decisions Monday--- the Moon opposes Neptune (at zero degrees Pisces) about 5 am Monday and is conjunct Mercury hardly an hour and a half later. And Mercury is so close to stationing (exact late Tuesday). The facts that seem so solid are form the foundation for your decision can easily turn out to be nothing but wishful thinking (another Neptune thing). We cannot see the truth until the transit is over; we just don't believe all those true friends who are trying to stop us from jumping off a high cliff...
The Sun in Leo squares Jupiter at 8 degrees Taurus (a critical degree) at 10:41 am Monday. A Sun-Jupiter square usually means the hangover after a period of Jupiter excesses. It could mean facing the stack of bills after making the grand gesture that Leos are so prone to do, where they pick up the check for the whole party of 20 or whatever at the lovely French restaurant with the white tablecloths. Puh-leeze set a realistic budget and hold everyone to it.
Mercury goes retrograde at 1 degree, 12 minutes Virgo at 11:50 pm Tuesday. It will re-enter Leo on the morning of August 8. It's that time of year again. You can always take your vacation at this time, since you are (almost) certain to come back home! Be sure to try on clothes etc before buying and check them over carefully; insist on a trial period for contractual services.
Mars enters the sign Cancer at 5:22 am Wednesday, an awkward placement; it will be there till late September. On the one hand, Cancer is a cardinal sign, and Mars definitely wants to be in a cardinal sign where it can DO SOMETHING. On the other hand Mars is exalted in Capricorn, so Cancer as the opposite sign is held to be a weak placement (ie in its Fall). Mars in Cancer can be competitive about getting its emotional needs met; try to see the situation as not a zero-sum type of thing. On the other hand this Mars can be acutely sensitive to others' needs and able to spread comfort and caring. Joan Quigley says Mars in Cancer is capable of working for the universal good, without a personal axe to grind.
Mars trines Neptune at zero degrees Pisces at 6:53 am Wednesday. Intuition (and spiritual feeling) can be very active, so listen to your gut no matter how silly it seems. Events may rouse you to fight for the underdog.
Mercury in Virgo sextiles Mars at 1 degree Cancer at 7:19 pm Thursday. Good for multi-tasking especially if you are under time pressures. Are you trying to get on a game show? This aspect is good for keeping your wits about you. Good for debating and making sales presentations because you can come up with replies to objections posed by client.
Neptune retrogrades back into Aquarius at 10:54 pm Thursday. Try not to join groups or clubs while Neptune is back in Aquarius because the club's character may change drastically when Neptune re-enters Pisces, and then you will wonder what you are doing hanging around these people. Now, if you have natal planets in late Aquarius, you have another chance to tie up loose ends and do it right.
Venus in Leo squares Jupiter at 9 degrees Taurus at 12:34 am Friday. (This is still very close to the critical degree of 8.) Well let me confess I actually got sick on candy one time under this aspect, and I am not gonna let that happen again. Since Venus also rules cash, be very careful about leaving money out or letting someone borrow your credit card--- and double-check due dates on your bills so you don't get socked with late fees.
Sun in Leo sextiles Saturn at 12 degrees Libra at 6:47 am Friday. (Venus will follow in the Sun's footsteps and sextile Saturn on Sunday, August 7.) Assuming you have been working very hard and behaving yourself, you may just get some form of recognition for your work. Saturn brings personal and professional rewards; sometimes it comes not from others but from somewhere deep inside where the inner self feels so good about having done this job/task/duty. We feel a well-deserved sense of pride in what we have done. So go ahead, pat yourself on the back, have a cookie break, dare to put a flavor shot in your coffee, etc...

PS – I am listing a few used astrology books for sale on Amazon Books; Part Two was posted July 1! Look for reviews in my column with a link to the listing. Even more titles to come soon. Thanks for your support (and patience). Note that the Intuition book, listed in Part One, has sold.
ALSO – See my popular article on late degrees of all the signs. Link: http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2008/08/15/planets-in-late-degrees-what-do-they-mean/
ALSO – check out Astrology.com -- free lessons online

Readers can follow not only their Sun sign horoscope but also the sign of their Ascendant for further clues to how your week will develop. Also note: some aspects are exact on a weekend but may find opportunity for expression on the Friday or Monday nearest the exact aspect. Times given are in Eastern Standard or Eastern Daylight Savings Time depending on the season.

ARIES - March 20-April 19 – Venus in Leo trines Uranus in your sign late Sunday/early Monday; you are likely to take a direct hit from that mischievous boy, Cupid. You might have to put the brakes on spending for lottery or entertainment this week, at least until you check what your budget will allow. Mars enters your solar fourth house on Wednesday; you may want to entertain around the grill (just keep safety uppermost) or decorate in warm colors. Saturday may be rather lucky for you especially if you have children along or rub elbows with creative people.

TAURUS - April 20-May 20 – Monday pm poses a chance to use an earth Grand Trine; Moon in Virgo, Jupiter in Taurus and Pluto in Capricorn. You can build something lasting, possibly something inspired by idealism (Neptune in Pisces), just make sure it is something doable and pragmatic. (use trusted people as a sounding board before throwing a bunch of money at something)

GEMINI - May 21-June 20 – Mercury goes retrograde on Tuesday night, affecting your solar fourth house of home and family. This means that family events may have to be rescheduled or run into snafus. Nothing very serious, just annoying. Mars enters your solar second house of money, where it pays to check up on taxes, commissions, or other fees OK-ing a quote. You may devote some time this week to mulling over taking on a school board or teaching position, or deal with a child with some type of learning disorder. Friday morn may be your fave day this week, when a boss notices you and your speaking skills.

CANCER - June 21-July 22 – Mars enters your sign on Wednesday morn; you may demand attention from others and it might be more than your fair share of attention, too. Mars in Cancer may take on an idealistic tone on Wednesday, with Neptune's help; this aspect can sometimes be prone to health problems or allergies so guard your health and eat right. Thursday night favors playing ping-pong and other speedy games, or doing craft work. Best day may be Friday when the Moon is in compatible Scorpio. You might enjoy a trip to the local museum or theatre, or an outing with children.

LEO - July 23-Aug. 22 – The Moon is in Leo from Sunday till early Monday. Try to resist guilt trips laid on you by a parent or authority figure. Venus in Leo trines Uranus overnight (Sun-Mon) so you may be tempted to stay out late playing bingo or whatever, and you may win a nice little something, too. Moon in Leo sextiles Mars very early Monday but may carry thru the day; you put a great deal of energy into creative endeavors or sales presentations, etc.

VIRGO - Aug. 23-Sept. 22 – The Moon is in Virgo from 4:41 am Monday till Wednesday morn. Your brain is very susceptible to the effects of Neptune fuzziness this morning, uncharacteristically so. Double-check your facts and figures, and catch yourself before you mis-speak. Mercury goes retrograde in your sign late Tuesday; that's another reason to be extra careful handling data and facts. You may feel like you are losing brain cells but this phase is just another day with Mercury retrograde where you are forced to show that you really know what you are doing. Oh, and you may have to do a lot of stuff over again but that might be only because a customer changed his mind. Roll with the punches, honey.

LIBRA - Sept. 23-Oct. 22 – The Moon is in Libra from 6:04 am Wednesday till Friday morning. The Moon squares Mars right away Wednesday morn; many times this aspect means you went rushing thru a task without really understanding what others wanted from you, and you wind up doing it over again. This is typical of Mercury retrograde, anyway. You deal with a lot changes of plans midday Wednesday because of a Uranus aspect; try not to let it get to you. The evening looks wonderful for a date, a concert, going out for dessert, etc. Thursday may come in with a depressing mood but the evening favors anything requiring good hand-eye coordination, such as athletics, crafts, or yes, even flipping burgers on the grill.

SCORPIO - Oct. 23-Nov. 21 – The Moon is in Scorpio from 7:57 am Friday till midday next Sunday. Friday is favorable for many things: talking things out, physical effort, reading mysteries, solving riddles, and more. The evening favors enjoying a wonderful boon companion or mate. Saturday can be stressful with the Moon square Venus and then the Sun;you feel that your efforts are not reciprocated; you may even have an exchange with an authority figure of some kind. Some days nothing you say comes out right and this may be one of them.

SAGITTARIUS - Nov. 22-Dec. 21 – Best days may be when the Moon is in compatible Leo (Sunday) or in Libra (Wed-Thurs). Sunday you enjoy flirting with a very vivacious personality. On Tuesday, Mercury goes retrograde in your solar tenth house of career; messages or appointments may be broken or have to be rescheduled so just roll with the punches. Wednesday morn may be a bit tense but the evening is particularly lovely for spending time with loved ones, entertaining, or attending arts events. Neptune re-enters Aquarius so your daily life may become more chaotic than you'd like.

CAPRICORN - Dec. 22-Jan. 19 - Monday pm poses a chance to use an earth Grand Trine; Moon in Virgo, Jupiter in Taurus and Pluto in Capricorn. You can build something lasting, possibly something inspired by idealism (Neptune in Pisces), just make sure it is something doable and pragmatic. (use trusted people as a sounding board before throwing a bunch of money at something) Legal and publishing matters are affected by the fact that Mercury goes retrograde starting Tuesday night. Make sure your documents are in order and that the attorney you choose has expertise in a specific field.

AQUARIUS - Jan. 20-Feb. 17 – Mercury's retrograde this week may be most problematic for you, since it affects your solar eighth house of wills and insurance. Aggravations may pile up until the reason for errors is uncovered and resolved. On Thursday you may wake with a cool objectivity about your feelings and habits, and how to change them. Saturday may be quite stressful in dealing with partners and career demands. You always try to be fair, so make time for the important people in your life in a way that is meaningful for all concerned.

PISCES - Feb. 18-March 19 – Mercury goes retrograde on Tuesday night, in your solar seventh house of partners. Your spouse may seem confused to you altho it may be due to poor listening on your part. Make sure communication is reflected back to partner so you are both clear on who is responsible for what. Monday may be the most confusing day in this regard. Wednesday may be your favorite day due to a feeling of idealism; you may also enjoy dance and music. You are also comfortable with Friday's Moon in watery Scorpio; have lunch with a sympathetic coworker or friend. You might have dinner with another friend, one who is quite influential.

Your Milky Way Horoscope July 24-30, 2011

2011-07-18T10:24:00.000-07:00

By Milky Way Maid: Real Astrology for Real People

The Sun in Leo trine Uranus at 4 degrees Aries at 3:43 pm Wednesday. You get some strokes for your individualism, your unique perspective, your sense of humor, your rendition of “Born to Be Wild” and possibly even your inventiveness.

Venus enters the kingly sign of Leo at 10:59 am Thursday. It may be time to get a new style for the royal mane, one that frames your face more flatteringly. Venus in Leo is a hog for compliments and approval, so much so that he may give up on expressing his boundless personal warmth if he doesn't get approval for it. And that is a sad Leo kitty indeed. Leo is able to uplift others with his personality, his warmth, his affection for others and his love of life.

Mercury enters one of its homes, Virgo, at 1:59 pm Thursday. Mercury in Virgo is a glutton for details and numbers. Mercury here is better at dealing with abstract problems, really, because your weakness is in factoring in the human part of the equation. Excellent at attention to detail and with practical applications of knowledge. Mercury in Virgo this month may quicken your typing speed and calculations, and at recognizing ways to apply what you know to the real world. Guard against being too critical of others; remember, humans are not born perfect although they/we are just trying to get better.
Mercury in Virgo opposes Neptune at zero degrees Pisces at 12 midnight Thursday (that is, between Thursday and Friday). I hope no one is staying up late to email or write letters or chat on the phone under this aspect. You will say silly, nonsensical things that others will not understand at all. You may even be the target of an attempted scam, since Neptune is so good at convincing people that lies are truth. We cannot see the truth until the transit is over. So don't even window-shop online at this hour. Might be swell for reading or writing poetry, playing music, or dancing.
This month's New Moon is at 7 degrees, 16 minutes of Leo at 2:40 pm Saturday. Incubate goals related to raising children, creativity, and loving life more fully. Venus having just entered Leo on Thursday brings affection. You may get some religious or spiritual insight around this weekend, too (trine to Uranus in fore-sign Aries). You may get bogged down in trying to earn your father's approval, however. Pallas in Aquarius opposes the NM which I interpret as dealing with a woman who has special training or talents, like a consultant or advisor.
PS – I am listing a few used astrology books for sale on Amazon Books; Part Two was posted July 1! Look for reviews in my column with a link to the listing. Even more titles to come soon. Thanks for your support (and patience). Intuition book has sold.
ALSO – see my popular article on late degrees of all the signs. Link: http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2008/08/15/planets-in-late-degrees-what-do-they-mean/
ALSO – check out Astrology.com -- free lessons online

Readers can follow not only their Sun sign horoscope but also the sign of their Ascendant for further clues to how your week will develop. Also note: some aspects are exact on a weekend but may find opportunity for expression on the Friday or Monday nearest the exact aspect. Times given are in Eastern Standard or Eastern Daylight Savings Time depending on the season.

ARIES - March 20-April 19 – Monday is very busy. Tuesday offers good advice from an older person, possibly an older business partner. Wednesday is really interesting if you spend time with a Leo or with creative people. Saturday's New Moon in compatible Leo emphasizes matters related to children, fun, creativity, and the enjoyment of life. You may wish to take classes to improve technique, possibly given by a woman of note.

TAURUS - April 20-May 20 – The Moon is in Taurus from Sunday till midday Monday. You might want to compare notes with an older woman on Sunday, probably about work or health matters. Be careful how you say things on Monday morning, lest you put thine foot in thine mouth. Mercury enters Virgo on Thursday, trining your natal planets. Just avoid scammers and liars late Thursday, then go ahead with practical matters.

GEMINI - May 21-June 20 – The Moon is in Gemini from 12:34 pm Monday till Wednesday night. Management might not be as forthcoming as they pretend to be on Monday. Meeting with siblings or friends after work Monday can be very pleasant, possibly with some laughs thrown in. Tuesday is designed for putting the shoulder to the wheel and getting lots done. The Moon-Mars conjunction on Wednesday occurs overnight but you may wake with intense feelings. A Mercury sextile Wednesday night favors a long chat with siblings or just getting errands done.

CANCER - June 21-July 22 – The Moon is in Cancer from 9:11 pm Wednesday till early Saturday. Late Wednesday's Neptune trine favors a movie night or possibly daydreaming your future into focus. Thursday morn can be rather upsetting and I hope it isn't due to some accident; please have that second cuppa java if you are not awake before setting out. At work, you can focus like a laser beam today. Have lunch with a jovial Taurus friend. Thursday night seems to be oriented around working at home, or possibly structural renovation.

LEO - July 23-Aug. 22 – The Moon is in Leo from 2:16 am Saturday thru the weekend. Early Saturday morn has a lovely Moon-Venus conjunction so remember to gaze into your loved ones' eyes over breakfast. Mid-morning, you get that 'born to be wild' feeling possibly on the back of a motorcycle; there's also a chance for an intuitive insight. New Moon in Leo in the afternoon offers a more bountiful life if you make the effort towards your goals; you may get some religious or spiritual insight around this weekend, too. You may get bogged down in trying to earn your father's approval, however.

VIRGO - Aug. 23-Sept. 22 – Mercury enters your sign on Thursday, helping you deal with details and messages, and quickening your hands for crafts or typing. Guard against being overly critical of others; instead, offer to show an easier way to do things. Thursday favors having lunch with a dear friend, who may be in quite a talkative mood. Do read the caution about Mercury opposite Neptune late Thursday. On Saturday you may prefer to stay home, possibly holing up with the kids or grandkids in your own back yard.

LIBRA - Sept. 23-Oct. 22 – Juno is about to enter your sign, where it seems to be quite at home. You will want to go on jaunts with your mate, help him or her with projects, and generally be a twosome whatever you do. Togetherness is a wonderful thing when you are making memories, just give each other time with others, too. Saturn trines Vesta in Aquarius into August; you may lead groups of children on day trips or in community service. Duty calls on Thursday, tho Wednesday is lazy. Saturday you may visit mysterious places with friends.

SCORPIO - Oct. 23-Nov. 21 – Venus' entry into Leo on Thursday and Saturday's New Moon can jump start your career, possibly working for a woman who started her own company. Things may move quite quickly from now into August. Mercury enters Virgo, your solar house of friends, who suddenly become fonts of practical information. Your mate's idea of a vacation may be a retreat, monastery, or possibly the cabin up north, anywhere you can just escape civilization for awhile.

SAGITTARIUS - Nov. 22-Dec. 21 – Your mate's energies are slowly recharging but he may not be up to enjoying an active vacation yet. Saturday's New Moon in Leo emphasizes your solar ninth house of legal matters, publishing, religion, the internet, and long trips. You could take a vacation led by a woman who started her own travel agency. You are going to have to deal with a Taurus person if you are going to get anywhere regarding a government matter. On the bright side, fun with grown children beckons.

CAPRICORN - Dec. 22-Jan. 19 – Venus' entry into your sector of joint finances may not allow short trips this week, not while it is inconjunct Neptune in your third house. (wait till next week at least) Saturday's New Moon in the same sector promises a change for the better. A child could earn a scholarship or other help with school expenses within the month. You may enjoy a foreign guest in your home. It may benefit you to have a financial planner examine your books and make improvements in money management.

AQUARIUS - Jan. 20-Feb. 17 – Juno enters your solar ninth house; a strong woman may help resolve legal or publishing problems. Tuesday's Moon-Saturn trine in the other air signs offers opportunity if you listen to your intuition; generating ideas is also favored tho keep a note pad to capture random thoughts. Saturday's New Moon in Leo puts it in your solar seventh house of partnerships; I feel that you may benefit from marriage counseling at this time, even though many Aquarians have successful long-term marriages like the fixed signs that they are. Perhaps your church conducts marriage enrichment weekends?

PISCES - Feb. 18-March 19 – Monday may be challenging when dealing with bosses who give confusing orders. Wednesday evening favors having your own movie night, or just playing with the kids. Make up stories for each other. A friend may be able to babysit on Thursday while you tend to personal business. Do not shop online late Thursday, don't argue with me. Venus and the New Moon in Leo emphasize your solar sixth house of health and work. You may have to tend to your health more, perhaps visiting a practitioner for advice on specific lifestyle changes.

Formulas for Arabic Parts

2011-07-11T11:19:00.000-07:00

by Milky Way Maid

Many of us like to work with Arabic Parts in addition to the planets and asteroids. For most of us astrologers, the only one commonly used is the Part of Fortune, found on most astrology software.

But there are scads of Arabic parts available. This is only a hefty serving of some of the more common ones, plus some uncommon ones. I have no idea how to use some of them. What does one make of the Part of Deep Reflection and Understanding? Or the Part of Disassociation??? Some would seem to step on the toes of Asteroids, like Eros. There is some duplication and inconsistency but I can only relate them to you as they are listed in my sources.

Parts of Divorce or Infirmities or Hour of Marriage may have some really cool application to our real lives, however. And I sure hope that I can find a way to use the Part of Luck or Part of Success!!!
So anyway, I hereby present a list of the Formulas for Arabic Parts. An explanation of how to calculate the equations follows at the bottom.

ACCOMPLISHMENT- Ascendant plus Sun minus Jupiter
AGREEMENT/DISCORD- Ascendant plus Mercury minus Part of Spirit
ANCESTORS- Ascendant plus Mars minus Saturn
ART/VENTURE- Ascendant plus Mercury minus Venus
BONDAGE- Ascendant plus Moon minus Moon's dispositor
BROTHERS- Ascendant plus Jupiter minus Saturn
CAPTIVES- Ascendant plus Sun minus Sun's dispositor
CAPTIVES/THE CONQUERED- Ascendant plus Sun minus Sun's ruler
CHILDREN- Ascendant plus Saturn minus Jupiter
COMMERCE- Ascendant plus Mercury minus Sun
CONSTANCY- Ascendant plus Part of Spirit minus Part of Fortune
CONTENTION- Ascendant plus Jupiter minus Mars
CUNNING OF MEN TOWARD WOMEN- Ascendant plus Venus minus Sun
CUNNING OF WOMEN TOWARD MEN- Ascendant plus Saturn minus Venus
DANGER/VIOLENCE & DEBT- Ascendant plus Mercury minus Saturn
DARING,STRENGTH, DOMINION- Ascendant plus Moon minus ruler of first house
DEATH- Ascendant plus 8th house cusp minus Moon
DEATH OF SIBLINGS- Ascendant plus (third house cusp plus10 degrees) minus Sun
DEATH OF BROTHERS/SISTERS- Ascendant plus Midheaven minus Sun
DEEP REFLECTION- Ascendant plus Moon minus Saturn
DESIRE FOR WORLDLY PLEASURES- Ascendant plus Part of Spirit minus Part of Fortune
DESTINY- Midheaven plus Sun minus Moon
DISAPPOINTMENT- Ascendant plus Mars minus Venus
DISASSOCIATION- Ascendant plus Moon minus Mars
DISCORD- Ascendant plus Jupiter minus Mars
DISINTEREST/BOREDOM- Ascendant plus Sun minus Venus
DIVORCE- Ascendant plus Venus minus seventh house cusp
EARTH'S CULTIVATION- Ascendant plus Saturn minus Venus
ENEMIES- Ascendant plus twelfth house cusp minus ruler of twelfth house
EROS or appetite- Ascendant plus Venus minus Part of Spirit
EXCELLENCE, NOBILITY- Ascendant plus Part of Spirit minus Part of Fortune
FAITH, religious- Ascendant plus Mercury minus Moon
FAITH AND HOPE- Ascendant plus Venus minus Saturn
FATHER- Ascendant plus Saturn minus Sun
FATHER'S DEATH- Ascendant plus Jupiter minus Saturn
FATHER, FATE, & KARMA- Ascendant plus Saturn minus Sun
FATHERS-IN-LAW- Ascendant plus Venus minus Saturn
FERTILITY & ABUNDANCE- Ascendant plus Mercury minus Moon
FORTUNE- Ascendant plus Moon minus Sun
FRIENDS- Ascendant plus Mercury minus Moon
GOODNESS OF THE SOUL- Ascendant plus Sun minus Mercury
GRANDFATHERS- Ascendant plus Saturn minus Sun's sign
GRANDPARENTS- Ascendant plus Saturn minus second house cusp
HAPPINESS- Ascendant plus Jupiter minus Saturn
HEAVY PLACE- Mercury plus Mars minus Saturn
HISTORIES, SCIENCE, LITERATURE- Ascendant plus Jupiter minus Sun
HONOR- Ascendant plus 19 degrees Aries minus Sun
HONORABLE ACQUAINTANCE- Ascendant plus Sun minus Part of Fortune
HOPES AND WISHES- Ascendant plus eleventh house cusp minus Moon
HOUR OF MARRIAGE- Ascendant plus Moon minus Sun (same as part of fortune)
HOW NATIVE IS LOVED OR HATED- Ascendant plus Part of Spirit minus Part of Fortune
HUSBANDRY- Ascendant plus Saturn minus Venus
INCREASE- Ascendant plus Jupiter minus Sun
INFIRMITIES, ACCIDENTS- Ascendant plus Mars minus Saturn
INFIRMITIES- Ascendant plus Mars minus Mercury
INFLUENCE- Ascendant plus Saturn minus Moon
INHERITANCES- Ascendant plus Jupiter minus Mercury
INHERITANCES, POSSESSIONS- Ascendant plus Moon minus Saturn
INITIATIVE- Ascendant plus Sun minus Mars
INTELLIGENCE- Venus plus Moon minus Sun
INVESTIGATION- Mercury plus Mars minus Saturn
JOURNEYS (short)- Ascendant plus third house cusp minus Mercury
JOURNEYS BY LAND- Ascendant plus ninth house cusp minus Ruler of ninth house
JOURNEYS BY WATER- Ascendant plus 15 degrees Cancer minus Saturn
KILLING PLANET- Ascendant plus Moon minus ruler of first house
KINGDOM- Jupiter plus Midheaven minus Sun
KINGSHIP- Ascendant plus Moon minus Mars
KINGSHIP AND KINGS- Ascendant plus Mars minus Mercury
KINGSHIP AND VICTORY- Ascendant plus Saturn minus Sun
LABOR AND AFFLICTION- Ascendant plus Part of Fortune minus Part of Spirit
LARGE BODIES- Ascendant plus Mars minus Part of Fortune
LIBERTY OF PERSON- Ascendant plus Sun minus Mercury
LIFE (vitae)- Ascendant plus Saturn minus Jupiter
LONELINESS- Ascendant plus Jupiter minus Venus
LOVE- Ascendant plus Part of Spirit minus Part of Fortune
LOVE, BEAUTY, & PEACE- Ascendant plus Venus minus Sun
LUCK- Ascendant plus Moon minus Jupiter
LUXURY- Ascendant plus Saturn minus Venus
MARRIAGE- Ascendant plus seventh house cusp minus Venus
MARRIAGE CONTRACTS- ninth house cusp plus third house cusp minus Venus
1-MARRIAGE OF WOMEN- Ascendant plus Mars minus Sun
2-MARRIAGE OF WOMEN- Ascendant plus Saturn minus Venus
MALE CHILDREN- Ascendant plus Moon minus Moon's ruler
MALE OR FEMALE CHILDREN- Ascendant plus Jupiter minus Mars
MALE OR FEMALE CONCEPTION- Ascendant plus Sun's dispositor minus Moon's dispositor
MEMORY- Ascendant plus Mars minus Moon
1-MEN'S MARRIAGES- Ascendant plus Venus minus Saturn
2-MEN'S MARRIAGES- Ascendant plus Venus minus Sun
MILITARY DARING- Ascendant plus Moon minus Saturn
MONEYLENDERS- Ascendant plus Mercury minus Saturn
MOTHER- Ascendant plus Moon minus Venus
MOTHER'S DEATH- Ascendant plus Saturn minus Venus
NECESSITIES- Ascendant plus third house cusp minus Mars
NECESSITY, CONSTRAINTS- Ascendant plus Part of Fortune minus Mercury
NEGOTIATION- Ascendant plus Mars minus Jupiter
NOBILITY OR HONOR- Ascendant plus 19 degrees Aries minus Moon
NOBLES- Ascendant plus Sun minus Mercury
NUMBER OF BROTHERS- Ascendant plus Saturn minus Mercury
OCCUPATION & DESTRUCTION- Ascendant plus Mercury minus Saturn
ORATION, PROFUNDITY OF COUNSEL- Ascendant plus Moon minus Saturn
PASSION- Ascendant plus Mars minus Sun
PERIL- Ascendant plus Ruler of eighth house minus Saturn
PLAYS- Ascendant plus Venus minus Mars
PLEASURE- Ascendant plus seventh house cusp minus Venus
POVERTY- Ascendant plus Part of Fortune minus Part of Spirit
REAL ESTATE- Ascendant plus Jupiter minus Mercury
REASON & SENSE- Ascendant plus Mars minus Mercury
RELIGION- Ascendant plus Venus minus Moon
RETRIBUTION- Ascendant plus Sun minus Mars
RUMORS- Ascendant plus Moon minus Mercury
SECRET ENEMIES- Ascendant plus Mars minus Saturn
SECURITY- Ascendant plus Venus minus Mercury
SENTIMENT- Ascendant plus Venus minus Jupiter
SERIOUS MATTERS- Ascendant plus Part of Fortune minus Saturn
1-SERVANTS- Ascendant plus Moon minus Mercury
2-SERVANTS- Ascendant plus Part of Fortune minus Mercury
SEXUAL ATTRACTION- Ascendant plus fifth house cusp minus Ruler of fifth house
SICKNESS & MURDER- Ascendant plus Mars minus Saturn
SKILL OR TALENT- Ascendant plus Part of Fortune minus Mercury
SOLDIERS AND MINISTERS- Ascendant plus Saturn minus Mars
SONS- Ascendant plus Jupiter minus Moon
SOUL- Fourth house cusp plus Moon minus Sun
SPECULATION- Ascendant plus fifth house cusp minus Jupiter
SPIRIT, FUTURE- Ascendant plus Sun minus Moon
STABILITY- Ascendant plus Part of Spirit minus Part of Fortune
SUBSTANCE (goods and possessions)- Ascendant plus second house cusp minus Ruler of 2nd house
SUCCESS- Ascendant plus Jupiter minus Part of Fortune
SUCCESS IN INVESTMENT- Ascendant plus Venus minus Saturn
SUDDEN ADVANCEMENT- Ascendant plus Part of Fortune minus Saturn
SUICIDE- Ascendant plus Jupiter minus twelfth house cusp
SURGERY & ACCIDENT- Ascendant plus Saturn minus Mars
TRADE (buying and selling)- Ascendant plus Part of Fortune minus Part of Spirit
TRADESMEN- Ascendant plus Venus minus Mercury
TRUTH, GOOD WORKS- Ascendant plus Mars minus Mercury
VALOR, DARING- Ascendant plus Part of Fortune minus Mars
VICTORY, HAPPINESS- Ascendant plus Jupiter minus Part of Spirit
VOCATION & STATUS- Midheaven plus Moon minus Sun
WHAT KIND OF WORK THE NATIVE DOES- Ascendant plus Moon minus Saturn
WIDOWHOOD- Ascendant plus fifth house cusp minus Venus
WISDOM- Ascendant plus Sun minus Saturn
1-WISDOM & PATIENCE- Mercury plus Jupiter minus Saturn
2-WISDOM & PATIENCE- Ascendant plus Jupiter minus Saturn
WORK- Ascendant plus Jupiter minus Sun
WORLDLINESS- Ascendant plus Venus minus Part of Fortune

HOW TO CALCULATE: First one must memorize the order of the signs; Aries is 1, Taurus is 2, Gemini is 3, Cancer is 4, Leo is 5, Virgo is 6, Libra is 7, Scorpio is 8, Sagittarius is 9, Capricorn is 10, Aquarius is 11 and Pisces is 12.
The first part of the equation is usually your Ascendant, say it is 11 degrees, 44 minutes of Aquarius. The first line will look like this: 11 11 44
Second line, say add your Moon which we will say is 13 degrees, 15 minutes of Aries.
So now it looks like this:
(Asc) 11 11 44
(Sun) 1 13 15
sub-ttl= 12 24 59
THEN we subtract the last item, assume it is the Moon which we will say is 22 degrees, 33 minutes of Cancer.
Subtotal 12 24 59
minus Sun 4 22 33
RESULT= 8 2 26
This translates as 2 degrees, 26 minutes of Scorpio.
Always be careful that the middle column (degrees) is a maximum of 30 so you will have to carry over if you have more than 30 degrees, and also take note that the right column (minutes) is a maximum of 60 so that you will have to account for that, too. I suggest that you WAIT TILL THE FINAL LINE before adjusting for the fact you may have enough minutes to make an extra degree, or a change of sign. And of course if you have more than 12 in the first column at the end of all your calculations, then you just subtract 12 to arrive at the number of the sign indicated.

Your Milky Way Horoscope July 17-23, 2011

2011-07-11T11:16:00.000-07:00

By Milky Way Maid

The Sun enters Leo, its home, at 12:12 am Saturday. Happy Birthday to all the Sun-kitties. Sun in Leo is big-hearted, magnanimous, and courageous. They make wonderful bosses, administrators, kings, and hosts, but poor clerks and other menial workers because they are bored to tears with detail. They work very hard, sometimes to the point where they strain their hearts. Fortunately their recuperative powers are pretty good.
Sometimes their vanity leads them to want admiration or applause whether they deserve it or not. But their enthusiasm for life easily spills over to infect those around them, spreading encouragement for others' efforts and the joy of life in general.

The Sun is inconjunct Neptune at zero degrees Pisces at 7:54 am Saturday. Inconjuncts are very uncomfortable, and often people resort to creative outlets to try to get comfortable again. People rearrange furniture until it feels more comfortable, although that generally happens under a Moon inconjunct. Sun is the Self, and Neptune is --- many things, but one is liquids like water or alcohol. If you have any inclination towards drinking to excess, this transit is one time to definitely avoid alcohol. It might be wise to check out the water before diving into a pool or lake. Neptune is oil and gases; be safety-conscious if dealing with propane, oil tanks, gas stoves, carbon monoxide, or other fumes.

MORE ABOUT INCONJUNCTS: People can have health challenges when they have double inconjuncts (Yods) in their natal chart; for example, when one of the lights is the point of a Yod, and in a vulnerable sign, the native might have vision problems. With Mercury at the point, someone may have long-term hearing problems or trouble with another of the sense organs.

The outer planet aspectarian is pretty skimpy again this week. Mercury is slowing down in the run-up to its retrograde period. It is said to enter its Storm period on Sunday, July 24. So let me give you the heads-up on the Mercury retrograde. Mercury has its retrograde station at 11:50 pm (ET) August 2, at 1 degree, 12 minutes of Virgo. Mercury has its direct station at 6:03 pm, August 26, at 18 degrees, 42 minutes of Leo. Mercury speeds up again and leaves its Storm period on August 31. You may also note when Mercury first crosses 18 degrees Leo (about July 15), and when it again reaches 1 degree Virgo when it has gone direct again (about Sept. 10). The whole period from July 15 to Sept. 10 is one where plans can go awry or you have to carefully shepherd them through each phase to get to your goal. On the bright side, some astrologers claim to always schedule vacations during the retrograde because they trust that they will always come back home again.

I am also posting a list of Arabic Parts and the formulas for them. Look for it on this same website.

PS – I listed a few used astrology books for sale on Amazon Books; Part Two was posted July 1! Look for reviews in my column with a link to the listing. Even more titles to come soon. Thanks for your support (and patience). Note that the Intuition book, listed in Part One, has sold.
ALSO – see my popular article on late degrees of all the signs. Link: http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2008/08/15/planets-in-late-degrees-what-do-they-mean/
ALSO – check out Astrology.com -- free lessons online

Readers can follow not only their Sun sign horoscope but also the sign of their Ascendant for further clues to how your week will develop. Also note: some aspects are exact on a weekend but may find opportunity for expression on the Friday or Monday nearest the exact aspect. Times given are in Eastern Standard or Eastern Daylight Savings Time depending on the season.

ARIES - March 20-April 19 – The Moon is in Aries from 12:25 pm Wednesday till early Saturday. Wednesday night has the Moon conjunct Uranus which just stationed July 9; emotional upsets are likely but also insights. Tell yourself everything passes. And for gosh sakes don't sass any cop who stops you for a traffic citation. Thursday you may focus too much on worries; try to let others know you care. On Friday morn you may go the extra mile for someone, but don't expect a huge thank-you for it. Friday night is much nicer as you enjoy a long chat with a dear one.

TAURUS - April 20-May 20 – On Monday you may be able to get a friend to obtain a favor for you, or give you a referral. Pallas Athena is retrograding toward a square to Jupiter in your sign this week; you may need an advocate or lawyer or someone with special talents to help you grab the brass ring. The Moon enters Taurus at 12:58 am Saturday. You may butt heads early Saturday (or late Friday) but neither of you will yield; just back away slowly. Midday you can play detective while reading a new mystery novel. Late afternoon is best for luck and just feeling good all over.

GEMINI - May 21-June 20 – On Sunday you may be able help a sibling or neighbor assess the pros and cons of various courses of action. Tuesday may be a bit difficult, and being defensive won't help matters. A friend may be in a tizzy over something on Wednesday; you may have to talk him or her down; have some tea on hand. Thursday you may consider running for the school board, or in some way serve a civic duty to young people. Saturday you may be in a mood to just be alone, or possibly enjoy a quiet time with a close relative.

CANCER - June 21-July 22 – Sunday afternoon presents a Moon inconjunct your Sun; a female may be difficult for you to deal with, possibly one who tells you how you ought to think (the nerve!). The Moon is in compatible Pisces Mon-midday Wed. EARLY afternoon Wednesday your lawyer or pastor makes you feel very cared for and secure. Wednesday night however is pretty tense, with your spouse and your career pulling you in all directions. Ditto for midday Thursday. Try to schedule dinner with a great friend on Saturday.

LEO - July 23-Aug. 22 - The Moon opposes Mercury in Leo at 8:23 am Sunday; not a good day for decision-making because your emotional and rational minds are going off in different directions. Maybe you'd profit from using someone as a sounding board. Any insurance or estate matters scheduled for Tuesday should go off very well. You may have to fulfill some kind of legal or religious obligation to a sibling on Thursday. The Sun enters your sign early Saturday; have a great birthday, and try to ignore disagreements and avoid alcohol that day.

VIRGO - Aug. 23-Sept. 22 – Sunday you may have to refuse dinner with a friend who will probably put you off your diet. You or your spouse may have to take a child to a campus orientation or interview Monday. The child just might be able to win a scholarship or other study grant. Tuesday afternoon can be quite tense; get to your happy place before dealing with career/family balancing acts. You may have to settle a financial obligation of some kind on Thursday. Saturday can be very productive if you aim to build something lasting.

LIBRA - Sept. 23-Oct. 22 – On Sunday the Moon trines Mars in the other air signs; you can put a great deal of mental energy into a project, and may be able to team up with other air signs to have a tremendous bull session. Not a good day to actually make any decisions on anything, but note all ideas for evaluation later. On Thursday you may have to fulfill a promise or obligation to your spouse. Be a friend this week and act as a sounding board for someone who has a decision to make.

SCORPIO - Oct. 23-Nov. 21 – You might have a very difficult time deciding what to do about home vs career issues on Sunday; maybe it might help to talk things over with someone who can be impartial. Early Monday you may be wildly indulgent with a child, even foolishly so. This college-bound child may move to a dorm and perhaps you want to furnish it. Wait, those rummage sales may have almost everything needed at little cost. You may have some medical screenings on Thursday; by all means don't miss appointments.

SAGITTARIUS - Nov. 22-Dec. 21 – On Sunday you cannot decide a darn thing regarding a child's future; resolve to talk to one of the child's teachers or counselor for an impartial view. You may be quite attuned to a family member's feelings early Monday. Your spouse may be rather defensive about the house or family on Tuesday; don't criticize. A child may be quite upset Wednesday night that you refuse to spoil him. On Thursday you may consider running for a club officer position or decide how to fulfill an obligation with the club.

CAPRICORN - Dec. 22-Jan. 19 – Your spouse is not happy Sunday about the family finances; ask your spouse to cut something from the budget and you will do likewise. Wednesday can be very tense at work, even explosive; the company may announce a reorganization or new leadership. You will have a dilemma Thursday trying to fulfill obligations to both your employer and to family; easiest solution is to just clone yourself but second best is to stick to a rational split of the hours in the day.

AQUARIUS - Jan. 20-Feb. 17 – The Moon is in Aquarius from Sunday till early Monday. The Moon opposes Mercury in Leo at 8:23 am Sunday; not a good day for decision-making because your emotional and rational minds are going off in different directions. You can shoot yourself in the foot (financially speaking) Monday morn so don't obligate yourself to any more monthly payments. A friend may be upset about something Wednesday night so try to be available to talk things over. On Thursday you may consider running for school board or other local political office.

PISCES - Feb. 18-March 19 – The Moon is in Pisces from 1:13 am Monday till midday Wednesday. Early Monday you may be very fuzzy-headed on the morning commute so have that second cup of coffee before setting out. Moon in Pisces is at the midpoint of Pluto and Jupiter Monday afternoon; ask a friend for a favor or referral. On Tuesday you wake up feeling like life is good under a trine to Venus. By afternoon, though, you are emotionally charged, even trigger-happy. Go work off some physical energy after work. On Wednesday morn you get along especially well with the boss and with children.

Your Milky Way Horoscope July 10-16, 2011

2011-07-05T09:07:00.000-07:00

By Milky Way Maid

Mercury in Leo sextiles Mars at 14 degrees Gemini at 11:28 pm Monday. You will be quite emphatic in your statements, so make sure you can back them up with Gemini facts. Also favors athletics (good hand-eye coordination), manual labor, working with heat or fire (like at the backyard grill). You'll be busy with lots of errands, messages, and possibly crafts.

Venus in Cancer squares Saturn at 11 degrees Libra at 3:35 am Wednesday. The Venus-Saturn square can make us feel unloved, or undeserving of love, or make us withhold affection from others. It might be well to get advice from a mentor or older person, who will help put things in right perspective.

Friday features the Full Moon at 22 degrees Capricorn (opposite a Cancer Sun). It is exact at 2:40 am. The Moon's last traditional aspect is an opposition to Venus on Thursday morn. Its last actual aspect is an uncomfortable inconjunct to Mercury in Leo about 7 pm Thursday. The main issue is feeling that we are not loved, valued and nurtured by the ones we love, and expressing our needs so that this situation does not drag on. Mercury in Leo is not shy about the latter.
Since there are not too many planetary non-moon aspects this week, we could talk about the asteroids a bit. Ceres moves into Aries on July 12. (It will trine Sun in Leo on July 24.) Ceres might not like the dry heat of Aries this month; let's hope that farmers have enough soil moisture to get thru this transit without damage to crops. Ceres retrogrades back into wet Pisces in August and remains there thru the harvest season. That suggests the crop will be abundant, tho I hope that fields will not be too wet to harvest. On the personal level, people will crave plenty of Tex-Mex spicy foods while Ceres is in Aries, so keep a supply of fresh salsa on hand. Cooking with fire will have a special attraction, too, keeping the grill busy on a daily basis till your charcoal supply runs out. Ceres in Aries is constantly busy and possibly too helpful. Ceres in Pisces is very intuitive, sometimes religious, and loves to take care of her loved ones.
Pallas is retrograding from 12 degrees to 5 degrees Aquarius this month. Pallas in Aquarius is adept at applying practical knowledge in a practical way; she also enjoys group projects which may be humanitarian in nature.
Juno is transiting the last decan of Virgo this month until it enters Libra July 28, when it will oppose Ceres in Aries. Juno in Virgo is extremely fair-minded, also just about phobic when it comes to dealing with germs. So if you are attending a Virgo cookout, you can trust that the food has been prepared and handled safely. Juno in Libra insists on equality in relationships. The opposition at the end of the month says it might be wise to use more caution about food safety.
Vesta is retrograding from 19 to 14 degrees of Aquarius this month. Vesta in Aquarius curbs her ego in order to (or until) complete her chores. Vesta may not be comfortable here, but she is a good teammate who pitches in to get the job done.
Chiron is retrograding from 5 to 4 degrees Pisces this month. Chiron sextiles Jupiter in Taurus most of the month, since Jupiter has such a wide orb. This suggests that healing may come from Taurean comforts like massage, or from hydrotherapies (Pisces). You might check out local spas for sample treatments, or just visit the whirlpool tub at the nearest health club.

PS – I am listing a few used astrology books for sale on Amazon Books; Part Two was posted July 1. Look for reviews in my column with a link to the listing. Even more titles to come soon. Thanks for your support (and patience). Note that the Intuition book, listed in Part One, has sold.
ALSO – see my popular article on late degrees of all the signs. Link: http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2008/08/15/planets-in-late-degrees-what-do-they-mean/

Readers can follow not only their Sun sign horoscope but also the sign of their Ascendant for further clues to how your week will develop. Also note: some aspects are exact on a weekend but may find opportunity for expression on the Friday or Monday nearest the exact aspect. Times given are in Eastern Standard or Eastern Daylight Savings Time depending on the season.

ARIES - March 20-April 19 – The Full Moon on Friday accents your solar tenth house of career. The squares to your natal planets say that perhaps a job offer will not please your family; maybe you love your home too much to relocate. The first aspect the Moon makes after the FM is a sextile to Uranus in your sign, so I think that you should be cautious about making a snap decision about a job offer on Friday and wait at least another day, possibly through the weekend, before making that decision.

TAURUS - April 20-May 20 – Sunday's Sun-Moon trine favors taking a short trip with your mate, possibly in or near a watery location or attraction. The Moon is in compatible Capricorn Wed-midday Fri. Wednesday favors having lunch with a friend whose ideals you admire. I see noise and aggravation at supper time that day, but you should be able to get some quiet time to just curl up with a mystery later that night. You may be stressed Thursday morning over a legal matter, but trust that it will turn out fine. Friday's Full Moon is in your solar ninth house; I think you will be tremendously relieved when a legal matter is behind you.

GEMINI - May 21-June 20 – The Mercury-Mars sextile on Monday night helps you make constructive arguments; also someone's words can make you literally excited. A Moon-Mars opposition Tuesday can put a chip on your shoulder; don't invite trouble. A friend may vouch for you on Friday. Saturday poses a possible grand trine in air; Moon in Aquarius trines Saturn in Libra, which in turn will trine your natal planets. Air trines are very intellectual; it's a good time to generate ideas with a bull session, or listen to your psychic impressions.

CANCER - June 21-July 22 - The Moon in Scorpio trines Sun in Cancer Sunday morning; relationships with your loved ones should be smooth, fueled by deep emotions. Wednesday night's Moon-Jupiter trine in comfortable earth signs favors dinner or a party with good friends. You may feel rather affectionate toward your mate on Thursday morn when Venus in Cancer receives the Moon's rays. Friday's Full Moon is in your opposite sign, Capricorn. I think a surprise in your career sector is in the near future and will please you.

LEO - July 23-Aug. 22 – Jogging with friends helps you burn off some calories on Sunday am, Tuesday am, and late Saturday. On Monday, the Moon in Sag trines Uranus in Aries, combined with your natal planets makes a grand trine in fire signs. Fire grand trines tempt us to keep going till our last bit of inner fuel is spent, so force yourself to stop for breaks. Monday's Mercury-Mars sextile comes late in the day but favors energetic discussion; your words may really excite people so plan what you want to say ahead of time. Get your chores out of the way early Saturday and enjoy the rest of the day. A late gathering with friends is favored, when the Moon and Mars boost spirits.

VIRGO - Aug. 23-Sept. 22 – Best days may be Wed-Fri when the Moon is in compatible Capricorn. There may be some kind of showdown over who's the boss when dealing the kids on Wednesday. A Moon-Jupiter trine in earth signs meshes with your natal planets for a grand trine in earth on Wednesday night; you can be extra productive and practical. The Full Moon in Capricorn Friday morn puts the accent on friends and creativity; perhaps you'd like to join a group to learn more about your hobby or crafts.

LIBRA - Sept. 23-Oct. 22 – On Monday night, a friend offers helpful advice regarding a legal matter or help with editing a publishing project. You may feel burdened by home ownership or chores early Thursday, but you really do love that house; maybe an attitude adjustment is in order. Friday's Full Moon in Capricorn stresses the family and career axis; challenging you to balance the two. I think the edge will go to your mate and children, definitely, who will show some of the fun and laughs they enrich your life with on Friday night.

SCORPIO - Oct. 23-Nov. 21 – The Moon is in Scorpio till Monday morn. The Moon in Scorpio trines Sun in Cancer Sunday morning; relationships with your loved ones should be smooth, fueled by deep emotions. There are no other aspects Sunday, so you might just spend the day on a family outing. The Full Moon in Capricorn Friday morn puts the accent on your solar third house (aka the kitchen sink) which rules siblings, neighbors, short trips, communications, computer software, etc. You may hunt for some software related to your profession, or to a home-based sideline.

SAGITTARIUS - Nov. 22-Dec. 21 – The Moon is in Sag from 5:47 am Monday till Wednesday morning. The Moon squares fuzzy-headed Neptune during the Monday morning commute; drink your java because you'll want to be extra alert. Try out a joke on someone during lunch. The evening is marred by difficult aspects to the Moon from Venus and Jupiter; your feelings that you deserve so much more love and abundance are not reflected in your current reality. Lighten up and don't be so judgmental, then love will flow. A Moon-Mars opposition Tuesday can put a chip on your shoulder; don't invite trouble.

CAPRICORN - Dec. 22-Jan. 19 – The Moon is in Capricorn from 10:14 am Wednesday till Friday afternoon. A square to Uranus Wednesday evening either makes you finicky over supper, or puts you in a tizzy. Relax with a nice mystery or puzzle, or by playing with the children later that evening. You're in a pessimistic mood early Thursday morning, but a favor or compliment comes your way within hours. The Full Moon in your sign Friday offers an opportunity to work on meeting your emotional needs in a mature way.

AQUARIUS - Jan. 20-Feb. 17 – Monday night's Mercury-Mars sextile can mean excited chatter between your spouse and the rest of the family; you may have to play referee if the discussion gets TOO spirited. You will probably seek quiet corners and retreat when the moon is in Capricorn Wed-Fri. The Moon is in Aquarius from 4:30 pm Friday thru the weekend. Careful not to overdo breakfast or brunch on Saturday morn, no matter how Jupiter tempts you. Other than that, Saturday gives you plenty of energy to accomplish lots of chores (Saturn) with plenty left over for sports or dancing at the end of the day.

PISCES - Feb. 18-March 19 – Sunday morn may be an emotional time, when Moon in Scorpio trines Sun in Cancer, making a grand trine in water signs if you toss in your natal planets. Listen to your intuition during this transit, since your antenna will be way up. Tuesday morning's Moon-Mars opposition in Sag-Gemini can be stressful as you try to juggle family and career demands. A woman friend could be pulling your leg when you meet her for lunch on Wednesday. The Full Moon in Capricorn Friday morn puts the accent on friends, clubs and creativity. You may join a group related to career development or career counseling.

ALSO – check out Astrology.com -- free lessons online