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Nov 25

Mercury Retrograde

“I’m so sorry. Mercury is in retrograde, and that messes with technology, and I was trying to get on email to approve something, and my computer kept crashing.” – Virgo Cameron Diaz apologizing for being late in February 2008

Get ready folks, another Mercury retrograde period is upon us. Amazingly this is one part of the astrological lexicon that seems to have made it into the mainstream culture. People who don’t know a sign from a star seem to be filled with the knowledge that the planet Mercury is affecting their lives in mysterious and unexpected ways during the few weeks each year known as the Mercury retrograde.

Mercury goes retrograde about three times per year, for roughly three weeks each time. This means that from earth, it appears to be moving backwards in the sky (planets do not ever actually move backwards). The retrogrades of each of the personal planets (Mercury, Venus and Mars) are infrequent and short in duration and are times when we should avoid catalyzing new plans as much as possible in favor of taking stock of the situation and being patient.

As the planet of communication, Mercury is prone to sending mixed messages and disrupting the flow of information. Mercury has rulership over correspondence, such as email, letters, faxes, etc. It also rules all kinds of documents such as contracts. It is thus not wise to sign a contract when Mercury is retrograde. It is likely that one party or another will want to revise the contents.

Mercury retrograde is however, a good time to ponder all of the different pieces of information and ideas that have been coming your way recently. If you are thinking of signing a contract or beginning an important relationship or correspondence, this is the perfect time to really straighten out exactly what you hope to gain from the situation and be as clear as possible about your goals so that when Mercury goes direct again you can be clear and effective in your communication.

Thus, this can actually be a great time to take the pressure off of ourselves to be working all the time, and give ourselves permission to simply reflect and ponder the things we have been working towards. And do not worry if you do have important meetings or negotiations during this period. Just try to be as honest and clear as possible about your position AND take extra special care to listen to exactly what the other party is bringing to the table. It will be over before you know it.

Mercury Retrograde Dates 2011/2012

November 23 – December 13, 2011

March 11 – April 4, 2012

July 14 – August 7, 2012

November 6 – November 26, 2012

Nov 8

The Aquarius Girls Club

There are a variety of powerhouse Leo women in LA; Jennifer Lopez, Halle Berry and Charlize Theron for example. These women are known for being dynamo performers and personalities, yet they are not particularly well know for their camaraderie with other females. Leo women tend to be very close to their families and childhood friends, and otherwise tend to spend time with their partners, acquiantances or associates.

Their opposite sign Aquarius, hosts another bevy of impressive Hollywood women. But with Aquarius being the sign associated with friendship, these stars are known for their close bonds with other women. No fewer than 4 major Aquarian stars can be seen palling around together regularly- Laura Dern, Sheryl Crow, Isla Fisher and Jennifer Aniston. Sisterhood is very important for Aquarian woman and they lean dearly on their close friends. In addition to the Aquarians in this group, they are also tight with Pisces Chelsea Handler, Gemini Courtney Cox, and Libra Naomi Watts.

Nov 1

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Astrological Anatomy of a Bad Marriage

August 20, 2011. Montecito, California 6 pm **(approximately)

I considered posting in August about the incredibly inauspicious aspects prevailing on the day that Kim Kardashian walked down the aisle with Kris Humphries, but I thought it mean spirited and pessimistic. Alas, the world was decidedly NOT shocked when Kim announced yesterday that she was ready to divorce her newly minted groom. While there are many theories as to exactly why this marriage was rushed into existence, and then promptly out of it, the fact remains that the date chosen for the nuptials was  extremely ill conceived. Simply put: some days are better to marry than others. Period. A look over their wedding chart reveals a wealth of things to avoid if you desire happily-ever-after.

MERCURY RETROGRADE: Astrology pros and novices alike are aware of the cardinal rule of astrological planning: Do nothing of great importance when Mercury is retrograde. Mercury rules all contracts, plans, communication and correspondence. Marriage being a legal contract, we are not advised to marry during Mercury Rx lest that contract is undermined. Additionally, a Mercury retrograde marriage will strain communication between the couple.

VENUS OPPOSITE NEPTUNE: Venus is the planet of love and beauty. Having Venus strong in the chart of a marriage is incredibly helpful to ensure harmony and peace for a couple. Venus was extremely debilitated in the chart of this marriage. At 29 degrees Leo, it was preparing to transit out of Leo and into Virgo (within the next 24 hours). It was also in direct opposition to Neptune, the planet of illusion, fantasy and deception. This perfectly describes the dramatic, extravagant, fantasy-inspired over the top “made for TV” style of the wedding (and the marriage). Like many things associated with Neptune, it was not in fact real but actually an illusion.

BAD MOON ASPECTS: The moon is by far the most important planet (luminary) in wedding astrology. With rulership over emotions, feelings and relationships, it is essential for the moon to be well positioned to avoid drama in a relationship. The moon moves very quickly, spending about 2.5 days in each sign (as opposed to the sun which spends a whole month in each sign). During the time that it is in a sign, Taurus in the case of Kim’s marriage, it makes a variety of different aspects to other planets before moving on. The aspects it makes immediately AFTER the moments the vows are exchanged show the emotional character of the marriage.

In this case the moon was making ONLY bad aspects- squares- after the wedding as it moved through Taurus towards the following sign, Gemini. Squares show difficulty finding middle ground and resolving conflict. First it became square with Mercury, further complicating the communication problems. Next the moon squared the sun in Leo, showing a conflict between the emotional desire to enjoy luxury and comforts (moon in Taurus) and the primal need for attention and admiration (Sun in Leo). Finally, the moon squared the Venus/Neptune opposition showing the essential instability of a marriage built on illusion and fantasy.

SO WHY DID THE MARRIAGE FAIL?

With so many planets in fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, and Aquarius) we see extreme stubborness within the relationship. The problem here was that Kim, the celebrity, expected that Kris would go along with what she wanted. Yet, what she did not anticipate was that Kris started to see himself as a star.

In a wedding chart, the groom is represented by the sun and the bride by the moon- yet another reason why the square between these two planets is so detrimental. Kris, represented by Leo, started to see himself as the star, the essential missing piece to Kim’s fairytale life.  He thrived with the fame and attention. Kim, represented by Taurus, was extremely set in her ways and wanted to continue to live la vie luxe as usual without making any kind of lifestyle accommodations for her status as a newlywed (case in point: living with her husband in a hotel suite with Kourtney, Scott and Mason).

Kim is a Libra, the sign of marriage and partnership, showing her great desire to be coupled up. Kris is a stubborn and independent Aquarius. Both air signs, the two are fundamentally compatible. Yet, rushing a wedding and picking a bad date clearly did not bode well for this pair.

Aug 16

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Blake and Leo’s Summer Love


One of the hottest new couples of the summer is Scorpio Leonardo diCaprio and his girlfriend, Virgo stunner Blake Lively. Blake has a real affinity for secretive and intense Scorpio men, having previously dated fellow Scorpios Penn Badgley and Ryan Gosling. With his moon in the beauty loving sign of Libra, Leo has an eye for art and an affinity for genetically gifted women, having played house in the past with supermodels including Cancer Gisele Bundchen and Gemini Bar Rafaeli.

Blake’s moon sign, like her sun sign, is Virgo, giving her a double dose of the thoughtful, detail oriented Virgo energy. With his sun in Scorpio and her sun in Virgo, they are both modest and private people who care more about enjoying the daily nuances of their lives than the glittery facade of showbiz. And with his moon in Libra and her moon in Virgo, they are both very accommodating and supportive partners who value balanced relationships. They should both be careful, however, not to allow the fault finding tendencies of these two moon sign positions to distort their expectations of each other and the relationship. These two have enough steam, and sex appeal, to make it through another season.

POSTSCRIPT: They indeed had the juice to make it through (half of) another season, before Blake ran off into the arms of- you guess it- yet another Scorpio man, Ryan Reynolds! As a double Scorpio, with his sun AND moon in that sign, Ryan is a much better match for Blake’s double Virgo.

Jul 9

Astrology & The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

The most celebrated couple in the world right now is undoubtedly the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. So exactly how strong is the bond between the world’s most glamorous newlyweds? As an analysis of their birth charts and the chart for their marriage can attest, these two are rock solid.

Prince William of Wales. June 21, 1982  London, England 9:03 PM

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. January 9, 1982. Reading, England ** Time Unknown

Marriage. April 29, 2011. London, England 11:21 AM

WILLIAM: Sun in Cancer, Moon in Cancer, Rising Sagittarius

KATE: Sun in Capricorn, Moon in Cancer

MARRIAGE: Sun in Taurus, Moon in Pisces, Rising Leo

SUN SIGNS: The first fascinating thing about William and Kate is that they were born 6 months apart in 1982 during corresponding eclipses. Eclipses occur every 6 months in opposite signs. Kate was born on the lunar eclipse when the Sun in Capricorn was opposed by the Moon in Cancer. William was born 6 months later during the corresponding solar eclipse when both the sun and moon were in Cancer. Already these two are a pair.

Sun signs represent our goals, values and sense of purpose. Being born with the opposite sun signs of Capricorn and Cancer indicates that Kate and William both share the same basic interests and concerns but approach them from opposite sides of the spectrum. Cancer and Capricorn are both concerned with security, family, loyalty, comfort and stability. Capricorn Kate approaches this desire through consistency, effort, and dedication. Cancer William approaches this desire through nurturing and protecting the people and causes that are important to him. William was famously protective of his beloved mother, Princess Diana, whose sun sign was also Cancer. He also protected Kate from the spotlight during much of their 9 year courtship so that she could have as much of a normal life as possible before joining the royal fold. And Kate’s much lauded sense of restraint, respectfulness and subtlety is a direct reflection of her responsible and down-to-earth Capricorn sun sign.

“I’m very, very lucky. He looks after me as much as possible.” – Kate reportedly said to Army Colonel Robert O’Brien on their recent trip to Canada.

MOON SIGNS: Both Kate and William have the Moon in Cancer. This is an incredible bond that harmonizes them, as the moon sign is responsible for our emotional needs and behaviors. Both of them are private, intuitive, romantic and a bit secretive. Certainly these two have put their relationship first and revealed very little of their personal life to the curious public, making a point of living outside the public eye, in rural Wales. Cancer Moon people also have a strong sense of purpose and responsibility, however, so they also take their roles very seriously and will never shirk away from the duties before them. With the moon in Cancer, they desire to have an instinctual relationship where they both can meet one anothers changing desires and moods intuitively, and their greatest joy comes from being close to home with their families and loved ones.

RISING SIGNS: The rising sign shows our external behavior and how others perceive us. It is based on the exact time of our birth as rising sign’s change roughly every two hours. William’s rising sign is the extroverted, adventurous and fun loving sign of Sagittarius. His outward behavior is gregarious, optimistic and playful. With his current position as a helicopter pilot he is seen as outdoorsy and daring. He also has Neptune, the planet of intuition and glamour rising in his chart. This shows his ability to naturally relate with the public in an intuitive and dramatic way, lending him incredible magnetism and popularity.

There is no time noted on Kate Middleton’s birth certificate, which has caused much strife and speculation amongst the astrology community! Recent reports list her time of birth as 11:33 PM. This would make her rising sign Libra and put the assertive planet Mars on the ascendant. Libra rising would lend her natural charm and sociability, as well as refined tastes. Mars on the ascendant would show her competitive athletic nature. Another birth time that has been proposed would be for much earlier in the day, around 2:30 AM. This would give her the sensual, mysterious and powerful Scorpio rising. This time puts lucky and vibrant Jupiter, the planet associated with William’s ascendant Sagittarius, on her ascendant- lending her the same effortless charisma. It would also put her Moon in Cancer at a much earlier degree, closer to William’s sun and moon. In my opinion this birth time more closely suits the public persona of the Duchess and also fits her into the Scorpio theme found in the royal family.

MARRIAGE: William and Kate officially traded vows and became husband and wife at 11:21 AM on their wedding day. The sun in Taurus lends strength, solidity and peace to their marriage. Taurus is the most stable of all the signs. They are a unified team. The moon sign for their marriage is Pisces. As another sensitive water sign, Pisces is in perfect harmony with both of their Cancer moons. A Pisces moon shows an escapist desire to create a fantasy land of their own imagining. With all of the resources of the most powerful monarchy in the world at their disposal, they will create the private life together that they have surely been fantasizing about since falling in love at university. Royal Leo rising is only fitting. They are perceived as regal, dramatic, powerful leaders with great strength and integrity. Additionally there are 5 planets- Uranus, Venus, Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter- in the assertive, original and independent sign of Aries. This is a royal couple who will blaze their own path.

It is well known that Prince William’s late mother, Princess Diana, was devoted to astrology and consulted several astrologers throughout her life. Historically, rulers and monarchs have relied heavily on astrology when making important decisions. With nothing less than the future of the monarchy at stake with Prince Williams marriage, whispers suggest that Clarence House quietly consulted a prominent London astrologer about the timing of this momentous event. And wisely so as their marriage chart is both powerful and harmonious.

FAMILY CONNECTIONS: As you can see there are numerous bonds and similarities in William and Kate’s charts. Likewise, charts between members of all families contain tremendous parallels and common themes. The same signs are represented again and again. See for yourself how William and Kate’s charts compare with the rest of their families.

PRINCE WILLIAM: Sun in Cancer, Moon in Cancer, Rising Sagittarius

CATHERINE, DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE: Sun in Capricorn, Moon in Cancer

QUEEN ELIZABETH II: Sun in Taurus, Moon in Leo, Rising Capricorn

PRINCE PHILIP: Sun in Gemini, Moon in Leo, Rising Capricorn

PRINCE CHARLES: Sun in Scorpio, Moon in Taurus, Rising Leo

PRINCE HARRY: Sun in Virgo, Moon in Taurus, Rising Capricorn

PRINCESS DIANA: Sun in Cancer, Moon in Aquarius, Rising Sagittarius

CAMILLA, DUCHESS OF CORNWALL: Sun in Cancer, Moon in Cancer, Rising Leo

CAROLE MIDDLETON: Sun in Aquarius, Moon in Taurus

MICHAEL MIDDLETON: Sun in Cancer, Moon in Taurus

PIPPA MIDDLETON: Sun in Virgo, Moon in Leo or Virgo (depending on time)

JAMES MIDDLETON: Sun in Aries, Moon in Scorpio

We can see very clearly the prominence of certain signs in the royal family and in Kate’s family.

Taurus, Cancer, Leo, Scorpio and Capricorn are dominant in virtually every chart.

TAURUS represents stability, ease and love of luxury.

CANCER represents compassion, security and love of home and family.

LEO represents entitlement, integrity and drama.

SCORPIO represents sexuality, mystery and power.

CAPRICORN represents duty, achievement and commitment.

With these signs heavily represented in Duchess Catherine’s birth chart and in the chart of her marriage to Prince William, we can expect their strong bond to continue to thrive. We can also expect to see these signs emerge in the charts of their already eagerly anticipated offspring.

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