Laurence Hillman - ArtInfo Archives

To us, the planets are actors on a divine stage. As May begins, there is a dramatic split in the heavens, and we observe two completely different and concurrent dramas. First, we see a tale of a cautious king with his court jester close by. This royal is a firm and solid farmer, a preserver. In the other play, most of the court is in uproar. Here, impulsive, impetuous, explosive, and unorganized heavenly thespians are wielding weapons, throwing ideas around, and hurling insults at each other.

The planets are reflected in us as inner characters, parts of us that we embody at certain times and in distinct circumstances. In May, therefore, each of us must use this tension – this straining between safekeeping and rebelling – in the most creative way that we can. For it is an astrological secret that our inner tensions are also the sources of our creativity. Such inner straining requires careful handling. If you have ever wound up a metal spring to its fullest tension and then let it go off in your hand, you are aware of the fierce energy this releases. It takes a skilled clockmaker to put this potency to good use. When you know your astrological makeup well, you have the tools to become an artisan of your life.

As the month opens, the Moon, Queen of the Hearth, is in Libra and she surely is not comfortable with this strife going on around her. The Moon shows us our needs. In Libra, we recognize a need for balance, harmony, and social pleasantries.

May also begins with Venus, Goddess of Beauty, Love, and Seduction in Gemini. Among the many areas of our lives of which she is the empress – sex, passion, chocolate, money, the arts, seduction; but also jealousy, gossip, backstabbing, and intrigues – the ones that require her mental skills are now particularly front and center.

Venus is also enjoying a formidable relationship with Neptune, our Inner Dreamer. Neptune is currently in the sign of Aquarius, an air sign. What we have with this combination is mental idealism, a high-flying dream. The poet Carl Sandburg said, “Nothing happens unless first a dream,” and this is particularly true for this May. We all have an extraordinary opportunity to dream outside the box.

One of the roles we might all consider playing this month is that of a teacher. Saturn, Master of Discipline, aligns harmoniously with Jupiter, Lord of Expansion. Such encounters are very well suited for us to look in the mirror and then ask ourselves this: “What do I know well enough to teach someone else?” Next, go out and find a student who needs what you have to offer. Remember the old adage, that “when the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” Under this universal truth, you and your student will surely meet up. First, though, you must make yourself available and become clear what it is that you have to offer. Do not cut yourself short. Everyone, absolutely everyone, has something to teach.

Aries (March 21- April 19)

You are very concerned with your assets and in a larger sense your self-worth this month. You do not feel much loved at times in May. Counting your blessings may include actually counting everything you own. Much like a cat that lies around in the sun and sleeps much of the day, you feel a need to go within, rest, and, yes, groom yourself. Except, you may feel that you are licking your wounds. Others, you feel, are getting the attention, so you resort to listing your achievements, like tin soldiers in a neat row.

This month, you undergo a crisis of faith. You have not paid a lot of attention to many of these deeper ideas before. You have cared mainly about creating new and exiting adventures in whatever fields you master. Now, the underpinning ideals that have guided you, the war cries that have heralded your arrival before, are silenced. You feel dumbfounded there, in the sun, as you lie licking your paws, wondering about the existence of God. Whatever your bible has been, the actual bible, some code of honor, a business ethics book, or whatever, you are discovering holes in your core philosophy now.

It is not that your previous ideas were inaccurate; in fact, they were fine for then. You have been looking at your life in the same way for a long time now, and it is as though you can step away now and observe yourself – your ethics, moral values, belief systems, relationships, the whole package – from a whole new angle. This takes some of the previous sureness out of you, and adds softness to your life. Some of those close to you may be pleasantly surprised. Others become quite disgusted by your current lack of clear direction and conviction.

This month you seek solace from a stable relationship. You particularly wish to be nurtured by a significant other. This, most obviously, would be someone with whom you are in a committed love relationship. If you are single, however, then this could also apply to a business partner. If you have neither of the two, then the longing for a mate is especially strong and the issues of self worth, again, become very center stage for you. You are not used to feeling dependent on others, you are used to being in charge and steering your own life. You find yourself in new territory.

If you can step away from your own issues this month, if you can look for someone less fortunate than yourself, then you will gain new insights that are invaluable. See what it is that you can teach this person who is worse off than you. You may say, “How can I teach when I am this lost?” However, there is something very important that you yourself are learning now: the nature of relativity. Not everything is as sure as you had thought, as clear-cut and as absolute. Now, how do you pass that along to that bright-eyed student who really needs to learn that lesson?

Taurus (April 20 – May 20)

You are incredibly inspired at work this month. It may not be all that clear to those around you exactly what it is that you are trying to accomplish, but with your down-to –earth and typically practical nature, you may just pull off some miracles. If your work involves anything even remotely artistic, this could be an unbelievably successful month, setting in motion a venerable freight train of goodies for months or even years of rewards. Such a train, once in motion, is very hard to stop. If you are an artist then you may begin a completely new direction in your style. If someone were to write your biography decades from now, one might look back on this month and say that this was the time you entered your very inspired period of creating – and here you fill in the blanks.

Blanks, because if you are a chef, then your recipes will make people swoon, if you are painter then you may paint flowers and still lives of food that are breathtaking, and if you are a writer then your words now come alive in a way that make your readers blush. Let us not forget that Venus, Goddess of Beauty and Love, is your natural ruler, meaning that there is a birth affinity between you.

Since Venus also rules cold hard cash, and because there is such a delightful dance on the divine stage now between Venus, Neptune, Lord of Dreams, and the Moon, Queen of the Hearth, this is a very promising month for your finances. Money does not just come to you but specifically comes to you through your inspired work and when you apply your ideas. Take notes now, keep a diary, or carry around one of those little digital recorders. Inspiration may strike at any time and some of those seemingly harebrained ideas may pay off big time soon. Intellectual creativity, manifested as tangible beauty, is the ultimate success formula for you.

With your friends, particularly female friends, things are testy. You are not quite sure why, but you have this sense that you are drifting apart from them. There may be an actual break-up with a confidante and the reason may be ideological, or even religious. Mars, Warrior Lord, and Uranus, Your Inner Disturber, neither known for their timidity, are in the area of your chart that relates to friendships. Together these two cook up the perfect storm. Most of all, a rift with a friend would be sudden and unexpected.

It is also possible that such a woman ally expands your views in some areas that you had previously thought immutable. The issues here are deep. Say, for instance, you had believed until now that when we die we simply become dirt again. Now, your confidante challenges this notion by telling you a story about a near-death experience she had. Since you trust her, you cannot just dismiss this. The conversation opens up big new questions for you and at the same time rocks your foundation.

Gemini (May 21 – June 20)

As you saw in the introduction, Venus, Goddess of Beauty and Love, is in your sign this month. That makes you quite the charmer now. When we combine the garrulous nature of Gemini with this seductress, and then add the mysteries of Neptune, Lord of Dreams, and the wisdom of the Moon, Queen of the Hearth, then Sheherazade, the heroine of The Thousand and One Nights easily comes to mind. Typical Gemini you still do not quit talking, but now you are spinning tales that are ridiculously seductive, beautiful, ongoing, and magical.

You also have great convictions and a remarkable sales ability now. You could cleverly take that enthusiasm, intellectual charm, and wit, and sell just about anything. What is that in your briefcase or purse? Snakeoil? Politics? Your religious convictions? Whatever it is, whoever falls under the magic of your voice now, will buy it and gladly fork over the money.

Interestingly, you yourself want proof of the existence of deeper and more meaningful things, God perhaps. You do not want to blindly believe. After a day of shmoozing at work, or wrestling with the kids at home, you find a moment in your quiet place and ask yourself if there is not more to life than this. If there isn’t some kind of “real and tangible” proof to the existence of something larger than what you have been selling all day.

You will find your answers in the arts. Go to a craft store and buy a few pounds of clay. In your typical way of pointing out the other side to every argument, you even struggle with D.H. Lawrence’s quote, “Beauty is an experience, nothing else. It is not a fixed pattern or an arrangement of features.” To gain some stability you now want beauty to be a fixed target. You now want to see this beauty, to really touch it and sense it. To paraphrase Lawrence, you do want to “arrange the features of beauty” this month. So, sculpt beauty. Craft beauty. Make art. Touch it. If you need more encouragement, rent the 1990 movie “Ghost.”

Your neighborhood needs you now. More specifically, your environs need your communication skills to sell an idea. You can start very productive partnerships that will flourish later in the year. Since Venus is involved, these could be neighborhood beautification projects. On the other hand, they could involve after-school activities for kids; projects to keep them away from computer screens and more involved in the real world. You have extraordinary skills to participate in such projects now. You must not necessarily take a leadership role but mostly make it known that you are available, and that you have the gift of gab to get people to work together for a common purpose.

At work, expect some disruptions out of left field this month. Uranus, Your Inner Disturber, and Mars, Warrior Lord, in Pisces, two trouble makers in an unpredictable sign, pulling pranks and completely unaware of any consequences of their actions, can shake things up significantly.

Cancer (June 21 – July 22)

You can learn serious lessons about money this month. Saturn, Master of Discipline, is in that part of your stage that addresses money. While you would gladly expound on why you should not cut back on your expenditures now, you may just overdraw your bank accounts a few times in May. Perhaps you will learn something from these experiences. Saturn is not just a taskmaster but also an arrestive teacher, particularly when he teams up with Jupiter, Lord of Expansion.

However, Jupiter is also closely squaring off with those two rascals Mars, Warrior Lord, and Uranus, Your Internal Disturber over there in the stage area that addresses travels. If you travel in May, beware of pickpockets, or just being tricked and bamboozled by street hustlers. If you stay at home and have any pending legal matters, watch out for an unexpected turn of events in that area.

Where is Mercury, Lord of Mind, in all of this? Is he not supposed to be your inner radar and more quick of mind and slipperier than any street thief who might cross your path? Is Mercury not supposed to protect you from the world? No. And this month, we find Mercury dressed in Birkenstocks, overalls, and a straw gardening hat. He is outside digging in the dirt with the Sun, Lord of Ego. These two parts of us, the royal and his court jester, are happily aligned in the garden but not paying much attention to the crazy world around them. Minds are not quicksilvery this month, but rather practical and plodding instead.

If you are in the actual theatre, it is good luck to wish someone “break a leg” before a performance. For you this month, we may say, “I didn’t mean it,” before we say this too loudly and in case you are not in the performing arts. Two unruly planets, Uranus, Your Inner Disturber, and Mars, Warrior Lord, are also acting up at your work now. Beware that things do not change there by accident. This means, use that Saturn, that careful part of you now from being too hotheaded or risk-taking, particularly around money issues. If you manage a budget, stay conservative. If you are giving future sales estimates, stay conservative. Do not brag. Things can change at work very quickly and, well, accidentally.

If all of this sounds stressful and not, perhaps, to your liking then thank the heavens for the Moon. She is truly the balance this month for you. The Moon is the ruler of Cancer. This means that there is a natural kinship between the two, an affinity. The Moon in general shows us what we need. This month, with the Moon in your home area, you need balance in your home, peace, and quiet. The Moon is also in a lovely triangle with Venus, Goddess of Beauty and Love, and Neptune, Lord of Dreams. You simply must have beauty, tranquility, and harmony in your home life now. Take time out, pursue secret pleasures, sneak to an art opening, have some chocolate.

Leo (July 23 – August 22)

You look in the mirror now, not an uncommon activity for you, and you ask yourself the question, “Mirror, mirror, on the wall, why the heck am I so serious?” You know you like to play, to be the big kid, the one who never wants to grow up, the one who still dreams of finding Mr./Ms. Right. Well who the heck changed the channel? You feel melancholic, humorless and all grown up. Not necessarily feeling sorry for yourself, but filled with less joy and ready to wear a suit to work this month, Saturn, Master of Discipline, is seriously cramping your style.

If you are relationally committed to someone, then you look to your significant other, to see if he or she can remind you that you are The Perfect One, as before. You do this just to lift your spirits. But alas, you find that Neptune, Lord of Dreams, is misting up any previous clarity regarding your main squeeze. This makes even a committed partner ephemeral.

If you do not have a stable partnership, or find yourself in that in-between zone, then there is a lot to learn now. Jupiter, Lord of Expansion, also world traveler, and enthusiastic teacher, especially when harmoniously hooked up with Saturn (as he is as May begins), is in the part of your chart relating to lovers. Oh Joy, return! But just then we quickly find that Mars, Warrior Lord, and Uranus, Your Inner Disturber, the unpredictable and dangerously mischievous couple, are directly, and strenuously, linked to this Jupiter as well. We sigh, and say, “Not so fast there, lover!”

There is a huge amount to learn about relationships this month. So much, in fact, that it may take you several months to figure out just what all happened in May. Venus describes how you see and feel about friends, perhaps a little more than usual. Perhaps you fall in love with a friend now. That is fine. But what if you are in an unwavering relationship with someone else already and now your inner Venus wavers? Moreover, love, you say, used to be simple. This month you really see for your self just how complex all interpersonal relationships either are, or become.

Is there any stability to follow up with this seeming stress? Yes, there is. That earthy and solid Sun, Lord of Ego, on your inner stage – in fact, the Sun is the ruler of Leo meaning that there is a natural kinship or affinity between the two – this month promises strength and solid success at work. If you can focus your energy here and not get distracted too much by navel gazing and by the vibrations in your pocket every time your cell phone goes off during work, you will be okay. Work, this month, is a safe haven from your own relationship dramas.

Suddenly, having that serious outlook and feeling more mature about yourself and the world is not so bad after all. This is a month to show those around you that you can be for real, no kidding.

Virgo (August 23 – September 22)

You are in for a roller coaster ride this month. The main action comes from the two agitators in the part of your inner stage that describes steady relationships. What was, or even is solid, feels a whole lot shakier now. Your partner is unpredictable, wild, ornery, and prone to hurt you emotionally, even if by accident. Uranus, Your Inner Disturber, and Mars, Warrior Lord, team up as a rebel-rousing pair. Wild and unpredictable, especially in the dreamy sign of Pisces puts them in flowing gowns of turquoise colors and gives us only a vague description of their whereabouts. There is no telling just what creative disruptions you may come up with in what used to be your stable and committed relationship.

These two characters wreak havoc with your sense of stability. Your home is also affected. Astrologically, marriage (if this is the status of your serious relationship) and your family are distinctly different places. This month there is disruption and instability in each and between the two. Something unseen and slimy seeps into the usually meticulously clean house that you otherwise stake your reputation on.

What oozes into your home are strange belief systems, religious zealotry, fanaticism, political grandstanding, and/or radical holes in your own “truths.” Is it possible that your pat little answers for everything just do not work anymore for life’s much bigger questions? Could it be that in May you realize that a simple reality-check reveals that your reality needs to be checked? These are extremely scary propositions and so these are scary times. Your fundament, your foundation, is challenged this month. Any fundamental thinking is washed away like the walls that were supposedly protecting New Orleans.

So how do you not drown now? Where is the life-line? Well, there is great stability in spinning your fairy tales at work and selling your ideas to those who will listen. You definitely can talk now and finding an audience is not difficult. Your language is so sweet and artistic, dreamy too, that you could re-write Hallmark’s entire Birthday and Get-Well-Soon card lines. With Venus, Goddess of Beauty and Love, at the zenith of your stage now, and her being in the sign of Gemini, your language skills and gift of gab also give you a reputation at work. Much like Steve Martin’s character in the 1987 movie Roxanne, others may come to you for some of that love lingo you master so well now.

In money matters, you need to feel balanced and secure. The Moon, Queen of the Hearth, is here and she needs certain things to feel okay. In your life, this means that you can create a sense of balance and stability if you tend to these needs. Caring for financial security needs this month is an important contribution to your emotional overall well-being. Your work carries over into future months and years. You cannot throw caution to the wind with this. Discuss your retirement savings plan with your accountant or estate planner this month.

Libra (September 23 – October 22)

As May begins, the Moon, Queen of the Hearth, is in your sign. Your need for harmony and balance is palpable. Add the Moon’s open arms to Venus, Goddess of Beauty and Love, and to Neptune, Lord of Dreams, and we can only hope that you are not exposed to anything ugly this month. Visual hazards have physical side effects now. You crave balanced intellectual stimulation and consistent input of what we might call “beautiful ideas.” If you do not get this mental fertilization, you will be cranky, unstable, and aloof.

Those who work with you feel this the most. Mars, Warrior Lord, and Uranus, Your Inner Disturber, an unruly pair, both in Pisces and dressed in shimmering and gauzy outfits, weave in and out of your workplace as you wreak havoc there quite unexpectedly and quietly. Your secret is always this: If your job in essence is to balance things out (the factual job of Libra, the scale), you feel useless and bored if you show up and things are already evened and stabilized. In such situations you feel this nagging itch to upset the peace and create just enough havoc for you to then go in and do what you do best: make peace, enjoy a little social intercourse, and balance things out again.

Mostly, this cycle is very subtle. Those around you do not know what happened, only that for a while they felt uncomfortable, and now they feel better again. Just remember that you yourself have a strong emotional need for balance this month. If you play your tricks too much now, then in the end, the trick may be on you. Subtlety is the key. Stirring things up a bit is not a bad thing but be ready to handle the consequences.

Unless you are in a stable relationship, it is foggy in the romantic area of your life. Your fantasies are quite lovely and you may catch a glimpse of that desired person you have been missing in your heart so badly. Maybe he or she will even stay around for a while. But Neptune, is involved here, so there is an aspect of illusion, though a lovely one. Your fantasy person will turn out to be less (or more) than you can see initially.

But let’s not forget that the Sun, Lord of Ego, the king on our inner stage is in Taurus now. A certain part of you, while sensuous and down to earth, also demands constant reality checks. When potential lovers and other characters wander through your daily life this royal simply asks, “Are you for real?” He does this especially now, because his court jester Mercury, Lord of Mind, our inner voice and critical mind, is physically close to him and also in earthy Taurus. This Mercury is pragmatic and not shy. “What are your intentions with my heart?” he may ask of a potential mate. Hence, you do have some protection from musicians, poets, and other dreamy (Neptunian) heartbreakers who cross your path.

Scorpio (October 23 – November 22)

This month you want to go to your room, lock the door and be alone. You are not running away from anything. Well, maybe you are running away a little: from harsh work conditions, giving away too much power to a significant other, money troubles and a romantic catastrophe. But those little fiascos and pressures aside, you are also running to something.

For in your private space, in your meditative temple there are wonders now, there is beauty, and there is harmony. We can escape from, and we can escape to. For you this month it is a bit of both.

When you are in your quiet place, be sure to listen to music. Music is one way that the muses return to us. If in addition you have any inclinations to write anything, a diary, prose, poetry, a novel, or even a book, now is a great time to do this. Keep your musings to your self. Interactions with your creative source are most private. Although very fulfilling for you, if you share the contents with others too soon, you may loose the magic, as the spell is broken. There will be the time to read your work aloud at a local poetry reading, to publish your writing, to post your gained wisdom on MySpace. Now is not that time.

How could it happen that you find yourself powerless and dependent on what your partner (if you are in a committed relationship) thinks? Your identity is not to be “the partner of So and So.” You have your own identity though this month this is hard to remember. You give your Sun, Lord of Ego, away and the image comes to mind of you standing there with your arms stretched out, heart in hand saying to your significant other, “Here, take my strength, take my vigor, my power.” This is not good. Also, Mercury is tugging at the king’s sleeve saying, “Are you nuts, your highness? This is a stupid thing to do.” Remember that the court jester is the only one able to speak truth to the king at court without getting his head cut off.

If you are in the dating world things are not much more sane. Here, Mars, Warrior Lord, and Uranus, Your Inner Disturber, are creating havoc. A parade of Shakespearean characters marches through your life. At best, these are inspired artists. At worst, they remind us of the lead characters in the 1988 movie Dirty Rotten Scoundrels: scam artists who want to take you for your money.

You have an opportunity with money this month. It could be that you learn or teach something around this topic. A teacher may arrive, perhaps an older person with more experience than you have. You gain invaluable insights in this area. Alternatively, you may find that you have the opportunity to teach someone younger than you a valuable life lesson that you have learned (the hard way) about money. Either way: apply what you learn/teach immediately to yourself too.

Sagittarius (November 23 – December 21)

You bristle with energy and enthusiasm this month. Jupiter, Lord of Expansion, has a major presence in your chart. Part of this energy comes from strain in your home, from unsettling feelings that things are not in order there.

If you have been thinking of moving, leaving town for a while, or just turning your house upside down because something is bugging you there, go ahead now. At home, you may indeed find termites, but not necessarily of the actual kind. Anything else that has been gnawing at your foundation will now need to come to daylight. No more cover-ups. No amounts of make-up or paint can hide the bumps and bruises on your skin and beneath the surface of your deeper structures. Mars, Warrior Lord, and Uranus, Your Internal Disturber, are both uprooting things in your home and at the foundation of your existence.

If you are in a stable relationship, you now have tender words for your significant other. If you are not already in the habit of doing so, leave frequent love notes, write sweet nothings and leave them for people to find. Be inspired to understand beauty through your mind. Experiences of beauty, the visual arts, and poetry are likely to blow your mind this May. Your insights into some of the oldest questions that occupy human thought, such as, “What is love and why do we suffer so when we are in love?” may present lucid answers to you now. Be inspired – and for the rest of us – capture your thoughts with a butterfly net and bottle them. Please.

If you are not in a stable relationship and dating, or in that unsure place in-between, this month is quite rocky. Mars, Warrior Lord, then rules and your adventurer kicks in. Indiana Jane/Jones comes to mind and with this adventurous attitude, you pursue your goal, eying that holy grail of love somewhere over that mountain yonder. But, what if the pursuit is more fun than the capture? What if you get the lover that you have dreamed of and then the fun ends? This month the pursuit, the adventure, is far more interesting to you.

Your health is strong and you radiate vitality now. You feel the need to be physically active, to work in the yard. Those things bugging you in your house could also use your attention. Renovation and construction work are further first-rate choices. Both require discipline and extensive physical exertion and you need both. Your Sun, Lord of Ego, is particularly concerned with your health. In case you should lapse and rather sleep in than go to the gym, Mercury, Lord of Mind, is right at the Sun’s side and eager to yell in his ear.

You make an outstanding teacher now. If you have anything to do with the expressive arts, now is your chance to present your mastery of what you know. You have instant credibility and others may nickname you Yoda, in honor of the “wise master of the force” in the Star Wars series.

Capricorn (December 22 – January 19)

The fruits of your inspired work finally come to fruition now. It has been a long haul and you are relieved. If you have anything to do with writing or communication, even with writing prose or lyrics, this is an excellent month for you. You are able to touch your audience’s feelings, as the Moon, Queen of the Hearth, is at your zenith this month and your emotional connectedness to your audience is palpable.

That Moon is not alone. She is closely relating to your inner Venus, Goddess of Beauty and Love, and Neptune, Lord of Dreams, and they are all three in a triangular love-fest of sorts, giving you an intoxicating gift of gab. Others do not typically know you for this talent and it is quite refreshing.

Neptune also describes the current “flavor” of your money matters. Do not focus on money now; do not “try to make money.” Instead, let money come to you because this month it will do so easily. You have already done the hard work with your imaginative mind.

With all this commotion and success in the world – energy that you are of course comfortable with under any circumstances – you will have a greater need this month for time out. Spiritual, private, and reflective times are all crucial to round out your intellectual downhill glide. While you have earned your ride down by climbing solidly step-by-step up the side of the mountain for years, meditation for you means that a part remains secured on the mountaintop at all times. Let’s face it. You are more at home overlooking the peaks than looking up at them. Still, swooping down the mountain is rewarding at times.

Behind the scenes, away from the public’s eye, there is commotion: an old contention with siblings rears its head again. If you do not have any siblings, then this concerns other relatives (excluding your parents). At stake is clearing up old confusions and tempers rise quickly. The core issue is not something practical, or even a difference of opinion. The main issue is that while you and your sibling(s) are looking at, for instance, an apple, one sees an orange, and the other a pear. The difference is in the perception of the objects under discussion. Such deeply held beliefs must be addressed in other ways than rationally. Mars, Warrior Lord, and Uranus, Your Inner Disturber, are both active here. It will take time to find solutions.

You find solace in your love life. The Sun, Lord of Ego, reliable and strong in Taurus now, gives you strength and vitality here. If you are in a stable relationship, balance and support for you here is certain. If not, the creative flow and life force that you get from simply longing for your lover, imagined, actual, infuriatingly absent, or somewhere in between, this energy keeps you stable and going in May.

Aquarius (January 20 – February 18)

You are quite the dreamer this month. While we are used to absurdities and strange utterances to come forth from you, while we even expect a certain detachment that can at times become aloof, this month you remain veiled to most. You are surrounded, and stay, in(,) a mysterious mist of wondrous words of beauty. Neptune, Lord of Dreams, is prominently placed on your inner stage and we must get past him if we want anything from you in May.

To understand you now might be quite a challenge unless someone is tuned in to your rather unusual frequency at the outer limit of the dial. Some stability comes as a relief from your home. You may feel more drawn than usually to nest and to stay put. You feel a strong desire to spiff up your home, to decorate, put colors, textures, and fabrics and so on to work for you there. The Sun, Lord of Ego, and our inner king now rests in this part of the stage, the home. Surround yourself with art. From genuine Picassos to finger paintings that your kids made stuck to the fridge; it all counts.

If you are in a committed relationship then you feel that your partner is stifling you now. Too many rules. Moreover, to present an Aquarian with rules is an exercise in futility anyway. However, you have something to learn from this serious, perhaps older, person. Saturn, Master of Discipline, is active here and he is an excellent teacher – if we let him. Of course, your nature is to defy all authority. The secret here is to realize that Saturn is now in the area of your inner stage where you most easily externalize him. That grim-faced teacher whose visage you stare at over the kitchen table is actually a part of you. That needs to be addressed.

How good are you with your own discipline? Are you organized? Orderly? Focused? If you externalize – or what therapists like to call “project” – this saturnine character onto your significant other then he/she appears to be the bully, the meany, making you do all these horrible things. When you alternatively internalize Saturn and find out that he lives in all of us (yes, in you too, O Rebellious One!) then you begin to discover your own abilities to be organized, focused, and so forth. As with all the planets, we must get to know the inner characters they represent in us.

Friendship is always an important theme for any Aquarian soul. This month this is particularly so – with a twist, though. Money gets mixed with friendship and this is not a good combination. Mars, Warrior Lord, and Uranus, Your Inner Disturber, are both in the area of your inner stage that tells about money. These two parts of you, particularly in this volatile combination, are unreliable. Add to this that they are in the sign of Pisces and if you take a deep breath near them, you may just smell a whiff of an illegal substance or alcohol. Whatever you do, do not lend any money to any friends this month (or borrow from them). Also, do not partake in any investment scheme that any of your friends dreams up.

Pisces (February 19 – March 20)

You feel volatile this month. Mars, Warrior Lord, and Uranus, Your Inner Disturber, are both drinking buddies in a prominent place on your stage. It is unpredictable what you might do with this energy but fair to assume that you will surprise yourself with some imagined assertiveness that does not pan out in the end. Mars and Uranus are each strong and in combination even stronger, but in Pisces, they just cannot pull off anything serious. They burst out laughing before they get to the punch line. Or, in this case, they falter before they deliver any actual punches.

Still, this is not pleasant energy to be around and you may find yourself isolated from the world. You can easily fall back on the lovely triangle that gives you solace in a private and introspective way. This triangle consists of Neptune, Lord of Dreams, Venus, Goddess of Beauty and Love and the Moon, Queen of the Hearth. Because the Moon is the fastest heavenly body of the three, it is astrological convention to note that she gets more energy from the other two than she give to them. This very sensitive, loving, beautiful Moon, this need for balance (she is in Libra) also indicates that you may want to travel, get away, and find peace outside your current circle of known faces. If you can, go to a spa this month, or better yet, a writer’s retreat.

If you cannot get away, your home can become a makeshift spa now. Venus is there. Pursuing any of the arts in your home is easy, rewarding, and natural now. The most appropriate activities include those that use your thought process. Neptune is the natural ruler of (has a natural affinity with) Pisces. It is also so that Pisces prefers that state of mindlessness that is induced by all Neptunian candy – which can range from drugs and alcohol to sweets and food. This month, however, a mindful and awake consciousness is required in order to take full advantage of the Neptune-Venus-Moon triangle.

You feel tired in May, another reason to get away. Saturn, Master of Discipline, is asking you to be very organized with your health regimen, asking you first nicely—then more acutely—to pay attention. You know what to do already, you know about diet, exercise, routine, and all that. In general, these things are not to your liking but when you befriend your inner Saturn this month you will be rewarded with more energy. You are tired because Saturn is slowing you down. You have ignored him for too long.

At work, Jupiter, Lord of Expansion teams up with Pluto, Lord of he Underworld. It does not help that there is this struggle, fight actually, going on between Jupiter and the Bad Boys Mars and Uranus addressed earlier. The simple advice is this: keep a low profile, if possible keep your mouth shut as much as you can because your opinions are strong now but not substantiated by much. Daydream instead, then write a poem about it.

June 2007 Planets in Play Monthly Column

General Overview

This month begins on a full moon, which means that the sun and the moon are in opposite sides of the sky. The heavenly bodies are actors to us. They are reflected in us on an inner stage as we act out below whatever is playing as celestial drama above. During a full moon we find the two main actors, the king and the queen, facing off and in tension. This month, what we want (shown by our inner Sun, Lord of Ego) and what we need (our internal Moon), are at ultimate odds.

The Moon is in Sagittarius, giving our internal queen an adventurous spirit. This is heightened because she is flanked by Jupiter, Lord of Expansion. He stands by her side and, also in Sagittarius, distinctly augments her fiery needs. To liven things up just a bit more, Mars, Warrior Lord, pledges his undying allegiance to the Moon.

Our initial reaction to all this emotional enthusiasm may be, “Long live our Queen!” and, “Let our feelings rule!” This would be fine, except, not so fast. None of the planets are in earth signs but five are in fire signs. Two things happen with lots of fire and no earth. First, we burn out quickly. Second, there is no real substance and gravitas to our fiery ideals, which now become particularly hard to materialize. So, as much as you can in June, keep it real. No pies in the sky, but in your mouth instead.

Pluto, Lord of the Underworld, is also still in Sagittarius. That makes three out of ten actors focused on ideas, ideals, and ideology: beware of fanatics everywhere. This is a fruitful time for dogmatism. Also be aware of your own demagogic tendencies. Just because you have found religion, or the best new meditation practice, philosophy book, or spiritual teacher, do not forget that yours are personal emotional experiences. Sharing is fine, but Jupiter at his worst can also becomes self-righteous and preachy.

The full moon is also about culmination. We have the interesting effect of a culmination that coincides with the beginning of a new month. Imagine yourself standing on a hilltop. Look for the next one but appreciate that you made it here and take note of your achievements.

Venus, Goddess of Beauty and Love, is in unfamiliar territory now: she is insulated. In the sign of Cancer she is also vulnerable and careful, more apt to draw herself a bubble bath than to go out on the town. Typically, Venus’s primary interests are to create relationships, to make connections, and to infuse beauty. Seeing that the former two are temporarily lessened, ask yourself where in your life, particularly in your home, you might infuse tender beauty. More than ever, this Venus shows her vulnerability, cries easily, and feels a need to be protected.

Mercury, Lord of Mind, is also in the emotional sign of Cancer. So this quicksilver character is far more homey than his typical mercurial self. Shuffling around in slippers and in a housecoat, he reminds us that this is a good time to reflect. This becomes particularly so after mid-month when Mercury goes retrograde (apparently moves backward). Then reflecting, rethinking, and reexamining your life are all particularly advantageous endeavors for the rest of June.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

You have a lot to say this month. Your passions are overflowing as Mars, Warrior Lord, is in an outstanding place on your inner stage. He brings out the fiery warrior in you, so beware anyone who gets in your way. Just remember that fire also has cleansing properties and we need fire to transform. Clay to ceramics or iron to steel—total metamorphosis requires fire. Ask yourself how best to apply some of that blazing anger, some of that ideological passion, constructively. A knife, one of Mars’s favorite toys, can become a hoodlum’s switchblade or a surgeon’s scalpel—you decide. Remember that the planets don’t cause anything. Don’t blame Mars if you choose the switchblade and cause irreversible destruction.

The tension between the Sun, Lord of Ego, and the Moon, Queen of the Hearth, describes an intense ideological difference that you have with your siblings, extending perhaps to aunts and uncles. Or you might externalize this inner conflict as stressful relationships with those in your immediate surroundings, neighbors living on your block or across the hall.

There is a swashbuckling style to the way that you take your fight to the road. The Moon and her current cohorts, Jupiter, Lord of Expansion, and Pluto, Lord of the Underworld, are all in Sagittarius, which means that they are dressed like Indiana Jones (or Jane, your pick). Your beliefs and convictions are so important that you appear to be walking around with banners constantly proclaiming your truths. Alas, this is so much idealism based in so little reality. There is, remember, no earth to support all this passionate fire (see introduction). How about building a fire pit with all that energy?

Mercury, Lord of Mind, who is now in the sign of Cancer, is also facing off with Pluto. This only emphasizes that what you have to say now erupts from a deep, dark emotional place. This Mercury is limbic, instinctive, and needy. In his most evolved state he can be a catalyst for change in others as he is truly interested in ideological sea changes—even his own. This becomes particularly so as he becomes even more reflective and introspective after mid-month.

Love is a challenge for you this month. Whether you are in a committed relationship or not, your emotional needs and your ideology take over your play now. With Venus simultaneously withdrawn (see induction) and having dominion over your flirtations and long-term relationships this month, you feel more lonely than usual. As Venus usually tends to focus us on the “object of our desire”—be this someone who makes our heart beat faster, or a new shiny object we simply must have, such as a car, iPod, or necklace—there is an obvious opportunity here: there are also fewer distractions this month, and for you this applies to romance. Allow Venus to redesign your living environment now. She is really good at that and we don’t want her to mope. Before you know it, Venus will be doing what she does best, making connections and weaving “hookups” in your life again.

Taurus (April 20–May 20)

You always like money and fine, natural things. This month, this appreciation for life’s goodies takes on a whole new meaning. You find yourself in a philosophical quandary between what you simply must have and what you feel you deserve, what your ideals tell you is enough. This is a good month to remind yourself that living life other than from a place of deep emotional convictions is never really satisfying.

If you continue the old way and go for what you want, then you may add to your treasure chest but feel emotionally starved. If you instead ask yourself what your deepest psychological needs are, your ego may get a little bruised but there is a significant bonus. You discover that you have access to skills that you thought were reserved for others: great depth and even psychological healing power.

If you are in a committed relationship, then you may find that your partner shows you some of your inner strengths. He or she may also bring new power to the table—powerful new ideas and insights about you, but power struggles, too. The two of you can work together for great success now. Don’t be defensive.

Venus, Goddess of Beauty and Love, is said to “rule” your sign. This means that there is a natural kinship between her and Taurus. Venus also rules Libra. In Taurus she shows off more of her artistic, earthy, and sensual sides. Now we find her isolated (see introduction) and in that area of your chart that has to do with communication. What she wants now is to be left alone, to create some art, cook a good meal, and sip tea. Your attempts at expressing love may fail miserably at the same time that your ability to symbolize your artistic depths are extraordinary. Yes, cooking and gardening count. It does not hurt Venus to look inward from time to time. In the sign of Cancer now, she is extraordinarily tender and must protect herself from vulgarity, any roughness, and visual hazards (i.e., ugly things).

Your home and your domestic life need attention. For some time now previously familiar structures have been crumbling and dissolving here. You might find this to be the right time to ask your inner Venus to turn her attention toward your home. What ugliness lingers there? Chuck it out now. Make a clean break.

Your work is confusing as Neptune, Lord of Dreams, is still visiting that part of your life. This same actor stirs your imagination and you can easily fancy yourself working elsewhere. Remember that just because you can dream it—and particularly with no earth around now (see introduction)—that does not make it real. Reality is typically a necessity for your earthy nature. Soap bubbles burst when they hit something hard.

Mars, Warrior Lord, instigates a drive toward your spiritual needs. Perhaps a spiritual trek, or, with no earth around, perhaps you even go skydiving as a spiritual experience. Imagine that, a flying Taurus!

Gemini (May 21–June 20)

You put a lot of emphasis on your partnership this month. If you are in a serious relationship, you put your emotional energy there. Endless emotional conversations about the meaning of life may ensue. Your partner needs to be fairly warned that there may be no end to long discussions. You have a deep, vast emotional hole to fill and you are banking on your partner to come to the rescue. If you have already learned that no one can ever fill such a void except you, then you are well on your way to a much more satisfying relationship. Then this month can be about a healthy debate with your significant other about the meaning of life. “Sounds boring,” you say. Ever heard of sexual tension?

It is also likely that your significant other dumps stuff on you that is not yours. Old and painful issues, based perhaps even in paranoid fantasies. Tell your loved one now that no one is out to get him or her.

If you are not in a committed relationship then you put all sorts of energy into this part of your life. You might also focus on any enemies that you have created, real or fictional, particularly if they have other ideas about the world than you do.

You are full of vitality and project this to the world and to the public at large. You positively shine now. While you are generally known for being mercurial (and Mercury is indeed your ruler, meaning that there is a natural affinity between Mercury and Gemini), as the month begins Mercury, Lord of Mind, is in Cancer. It is a much better time to imagine where you would like to be in five years than to attempt to balance your checkbook. Such reflective thinking is even enhanced after mid-month when Mercury goes retrograde.

Venus, Goddess of Beauty and Love, is also in Cancer and on your inner stage shows up in that area that tells us about your money. As she is in a preserving mode and more likely to conserve now than make new connections, keep what you have. Save, don’t splurge, and perhaps even pay off some old debt. This will make you feel better than spending money frivolously. Venus is not in a frivolous mood right now.

With Uranus, Your Internal Disturber, hovering around your work now, you may find that either irrational people keep wandering into your cubicle or that you simply want to walk away from your job altogether. Either way, this is a temporary situation. Those strange coworkers have been there all the time. You only notice them now because you have developed a certain sensitivity to your own whacky side. He is now simply saying “Hello!” With Uranus now in Pisces, rather than quitting your job, perhaps you can gather the other weirdoes in your office together and plan a charitable (Pisces) fundraiser.

Mars, Warrior Lord, is in the part of the stage that addresses friends. In his own sign in Aries, he is quite manly. Unexpected, male friends may come to the rescue when you and your significant other have your fights this month.

Cancer (June 21–July 22)

Venus, Goddess of Beauty and Love, is front and center for you this month. In your sign of Cancer she is also alone as the month begins and not relating to any other actors on your inner stage (see the introduction). People feel attracted to you now, strangers like you, and you are perhaps particularly sweet and friendly. However, there is a certain loneliness that goes with that. Your need for privacy is heightened even more now. Those who do not know you very well have no clue as to what is really going on beneath that frilly facade. The Sun, Lord of Ego, is also in that part of your stage that bespeaks further isolation and metaphysical musings. You want to be left alone and spend time with yourself. You are also deeply concerned with your metaphysical musings.

As a brutal contrast to the reverie comes your work environment. Here, ideologies and emotionally loaded and overbearing personalities challenge your inner peace and, more than that, your authority. Keep your cool. If you blow your top then you succumb to the same negative energy that is attacking you. Instead, treat those overbearing egos at your workplace like kids. You know that their energy will wear out sooner than later. What this is really all about is who deserves which piece of the pie. Lay low this month because things could easily get out of hand. You may say things that are way more hurtful than you intended.

Mercury, Lord of Mind, is also in Cancer so the way you communicate is more emotional than rational and you are quick to load up your statements with adjectives and adverbs that describe your charged feelings. Again at work, there are differences of opinions that are philosophical, more than just feelings. State your ideology and let others have theirs. Just know that Venus, whose job is also to be a peacemaker, is not very helpful. Right now she is taking a nap.

You are not helpless at work; in fact, you can lead here. You engage Mars, Warrior Lord, for this now. In his own sign of Aries and championing your career, he is forceful, strong, and assertive. You are quite a leader now, even though we know that, with your absent Sun, your ego is not in it. This can be a very good thing. You lead by example, by doing, not by ordering others.

Money is tight this month. You would like to spend more than you have, but Saturn, Master of Discipline, is ruling over your bank account. He reminds us a lot of the ant telling the grasshopper to quit playing and instead put away food for the cold season. The grasshopper played on and died when the snow came. The ant had plenty to eat. Much like your Cancerian nature does naturally, you are preserving and conserving for later. Delayed gratification, the ant will tell you, is not a bad idea sometimes.

Leo (July 23–August 22)

As Saturn, Master of Discipline, remains in your sign for another few months, the seriousness that has crept into your life remains. This is quite subtle, but at this time even the M-word (melancholy) applies. Remember that there are no “good” and no “bad” planets. Planets are natural parts of us, and we either live out their nature well, or we suffer the consequences as they live themselves out through us in usually the worst possible way. Perhaps they do the latter just to get our attention. Saturn also offers you the ability to stay focused and disciplined now, to finally pull your creative portfolio together, to organize your resume, and to focus on what all that playing that you are so used to might lead to in the long run.

Speaking of creativity, you are extraordinarily pregnant with such energy this month. You harbor an emotional message. You simply must get certain feelings across to the world. This emotional certainty may clash with some of your friends who do not understand your feelings or have different ideas about what is right for you. This can cause inner turmoil. The Sun, Lord of Ego, is pushing you to express certain aspirations for your ego, showing the world how you want to be seen. Be aware that this may not feel at all right and not be congruent with your emotional energy now. If you can stay in your creative space—literally, your studio, office, dorm room, corner in the park, wherever—and immerse yourself in the most creative activity you know, then the fruits of your labor will be exceptional. This is an example where Saturn can help you stay focused and stay put. You will have a message for the world when you are done, and a powerful one too. After all, beside the Moon, Queen of the Hearth, Jupiter, Lord of Expansion, and Pluto, Lord of the Underworld, join hands to stir in your creative cauldron. Bottle that brew, would you?

Creativity, love, and passion—they all belong to you this month. Some of that creative energy, as long as you keep your ego out, may spill over into love as well. However, Venus herself, Goddess of Beauty and Love, is in a most private place. She is also isolated from the rest of your play. Perhaps your creative projects include pondering such themes as longing, unrequited love, and the story of Rapunzel. How exactly are you going to connect to your inner seductress?

If you have been considering going back to school for more education, or if you simply feel the need to apply your creative juices to a larger issue, now is the time. Perhaps something involving justice. Mars, Warrior Lord, is with you in his endeavor as well.

Yours is a fire sign, Leo. As the curtain opens this month there is a huge amount of fire on your inner stage and no earth. Don’t burn out. The summer is just beginning. Stay grounded and walk around barefoot in your studio.

Virgo (August 23–September 22)

You are extraordinarily torn between your most public persona and your most private feelings this month. The Sun, Lord of Ego, keeps pushing you outward and into the world toward all those things that you know you want; however, the Moon, Queen of the Hearth, gives you a deep and pensive need for security. There is plenty of disruption and argumentation around your hearth now; you don’t feel the comfort you really desire domestically. Running away to the office may be your best bet this month, but coming home will reopen those wounds every time. Engaging with the deeper philosophical nature of your own emotional needs may be a way to get a better balance. Ask yourself this: how is what is disturbing you at the deepest levels perhaps a cause for reflection about your core values? Now is the perfect time to have those political and philosophical discussions with your family or your roommate(s). This is not at all comfortable and won’t be only smooth going. It will relieve you of your own inner turmoil, though, and also give you a place to vent that inner pull that you feel between your wants at work and your needs at home.

Just to shake things up a little, your significant other, if you are in a settled relationship, may act up now and demand freedoms that throw you for a loop. Alternatively, the little irritations you thought that you could live with in the past now seem huge—you may end up giving your partner the “I need more space” talk. Uranus, Your Inner Disturber, is in the part of your inner stage that describes your committed relationships. This is a passing phase, though; so don’t destroy anything in haste just because you feel jittery. You or your partner may feel as though on a caffeine overdose, and how many good long-term decisions are made with our fingers in the electrical socket?

Instead, focus on your inner life. Now would be an easy time to externalize your tensions but this would also be the least productive. This is a great time to pay attention to your dreams, the ones you have at night. If you claim that you don’t dream, sit still long enough to calm your mind and meditate. See what bubbles up from that deep and dark place.

Mars, Warrior Lord, is in a part of your inner chart that bespeaks deep emotional and psychological reflection. Mars is stirring things up in there. Old memories resurface. Let them. Consider the cleansing power of focused anger. In the words of Maya Angelou: “Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. But anger is like fire. It burns it all clean.” If things that happened to you in the past surface in your dreams now, things that make you mad, go hit a punching bag at the gym. Let it all out and leave it behind. You can’t change the past but you have control over what you do with the pent up fire in you. Be as creative as you can.

Libra (September 23–October 22)

Venus, Goddess of Beauty and Love, and also the ruler of your sign, begins the month alone, making none of the connections she usually lives for. Instead she is emotional, reminiscing, and even secretive in the sign of Cancer. On your inner stage she is dressed in a delicate bluish housecoat, and we find her with cups of hot chocolate looking at old photo albums, teary eyed at times. Typically known as a socialite, she is showing a more private side this month—and so are you. This other aspect of you can also become quite noticeable at work, where your quintessential ability to make connections seems hampered and you find yourself insulated from water-cooler gossip.

The tension between what you want (shown by the Sun, Lord of Ego) and what you need (shown by the Moon, Queen of the Hearth) shows up as a pull between the future and the past. On the one hand, you want to expand your world, perhaps travel, go back to school and learn something. You are drawn to great minds or the study of a particular topic. On the other hand, you have a need to explore your deeper needs that stem from your earliest childhood. You may feel a need to call your siblings or aunts and uncles and share memories with them. Your ego wants to advance into the future and let sleeping dogs lie, while your emotions want to dig up the past.

If you are in a committed relationship at this time, your partner will be very helpful to you now. You may get into some fights with him or her but consider this therapy. Some of the direct ways that your partner pushes your buttons helps you confront the emotional stuff that you are trying to resolve anyway. Otherwise, the sheer energy you feel coming from your partner is uplifting and helps you make a stand if you are dealing with unpleasant truths about your past. If you are single, you pursue relationships more actively now as Mars, Warrior Lord, is here. But with Venus resting, the pursuit is more interesting to you than the finer sides of relating.

Education is another subject for you now. With Mercury, Lord of Mind, going retrograde mid-month, we all have an opportunity to reflect on our past, our emotional state of mind, and even the emotional state of our country as Mercury is in Cancer, the U.S. sun sign. Your Mercury, however, asks how much you really know about the things you profess to be an expert on. There will be moments of serious emotional doubts over your foundational knowledge, your earliest education. Mercury is a trickster and your mind will play tricks on you now. Take it all in stride. Have another cup of hot chocolate. Remember one thing this month. You have the capacity to think very deeply, particularly after Mercury goes retrograde. Then you can purge anything from your deepest darkest corners, which you no longer need to carry along. Libra doesn’t like ugly things anyway. Dump them now.

Scorpio (October 23–November 22)

This month you live up to your reputation for having an endless interest in subterranean matters. If anything is invisible, dark, mysterious, deadly, hidden, or secret, you want to know more. The Sun, Lord of Ego, lights up and energizes that part of your inner stage that bespeaks these most private and inner workings in you. Your will now is to analyze yourself and turn on the light even in the darkest mineshafts. Opposing this quest and pulling you in the opposite direction is your Moon, Queen of the Hearth. She is demanding that you stay above ground and deal with very earthly things, such as money. You have real material needs now and go through a phase where you question if what you believe is reflected in what you have. Why are you still driving that big car if you believe in global warming? Very practical worldly matters make you very uncomfortable as they confront you with your ideology. All the while your inner king is yelling from the mine entrance: “Let’s just disappear and go down deeper.”

Your Mercury, Lord of Mind, also wants to go down in the mine and explore. Your dreams may be splendid this month. Ask Mercury to remember them for you and give them back to you at breakfast. Then you can write them down. Particularly when Mercury goes retrograde at mid-month your ability to reflect and remember those dreams is heightened. Perhaps you can ask Mercury to play messenger between your different sides and he can help you both sort out your values and explore your deepest corners. Perhaps they can become one and the same. Mercury is a trickster and also a juggler and can handle such a task with ease. This month he is also in direct creative contact with Pluto, Lord of the Underworld. Pluto has a natural affinity with Scorpio. Astrologers call Pluto the ruler of this mysterious sign.

Work feels confining to you this month; so many duties and so little time to play. Saturn, Master of Discipline, is here now. However, the more you call on your inner Saturn and find ways to discipline yourself in your worldly responsibilities, the more you will find this the place where you create the structure that you so need. Your inner turmoil is great at present and sticking to a work schedule is exactly where you find the order you desire to function, even if your heart is not in your work.

Your love life receives a boost. Even though Venus, Goddess of Beauty and Love, is not exactly outgoing at this time (see introduction), she shows up on your inner stage, where she makes connections for you. If you are in a committed relationship you feel the warmth of your partner and this is most comforting. If you are single, your particular Venus finds it easier to get dressed up and go out on the town. Actually, she might be interested to visit places where you will come across people of like mind: college campuses, spiritual institutions, continuing education courses, or classes of any kind. Look there for a partner now.

Sagittarius (November 23–December 21)

The celestial tension between the Sun, Lord of Ego, and the Moon, Queen of the Hearth, (see introduction) is reflected in your life as a tug-of-war between a significant other and yourself. If you are in a committed relationship then you will deal head-on with power issues with your mate. Who is in charge and where does his/her power end and yours begin? There is a blurring of egos. Beware that you don’t identify yourself as, “The partner of So-and-So.” You have your own identity, your own name.

On the other side of this tension, your Moon has huge needs and is front and center for all to see. It is as though you step out center stage and announce to the world: “Hi everyone, I am hugely emotional, trying to find my values, and please embrace me as I attempt this trust fall into my own inner feelings.” Obviously all that can be a bit too much for those around you. Go for long walks in nature and speak to your cat or dog. House pets are most forgiving. Astrologically, they are also under the domain of Jupiter, Lord of Expansion, and the Moon. Both are prominent on your stage now.

If you are single then you still project this solar energy onto someone significant. It can be your worst enemy and you may spend the month obsessing about some lawsuit you are involved in, or it can be a person who keeps driving you insane. Either way, you are focused intensely on the “other.” If you are in the healing arts, then this tension can be very creative. Let’s always remember this astrological secret: tension is also creativity. If translated well, your inner conflict can become the inspiration to do some incredible healing work for those in your care.

Mercury, Lord of Mind, is conducive to deep thinking at present. Teaming up with Pluto, Lord of the Underworld, Mercury is also in creative tension and is operating more from your stomach than your head. He is also in that same part of your stage where you have that powerful Sun. This means two things: On the one hand, you have an opportunity to deepen conversations with your significant other, if there is someone like that in your life. In such a case this other person can offer deep insights into your emotional state. Now, if you can only listen long enough without exploding. On the other hand, it means that you can also learn from your enemy. Particularly after Mercury goes retrograde mid-month it becomes easier for you to reflect on your buttons that you are quick to blame others for pushing.

There is disruption in your home life as Uranus, Your Inner Disturber, is standing there now. Expect the unexpected in your physical home. Whatever you may have thought was settled down isn’t. Uranus is in Pisces so be ready for anything. The range can be anywhere from unexpected guests who need your shelter to burst pipes in the basement.

Capricorn (December 22–January 19)

Your main issue this month is privacy versus others’ use of your services. If you are a parent, this inner conflict is between wanting to do all the right things for those in your care versus a strong need to isolate yourself and escape to a mountaintop where you can sit in lotus position and talk to the wind. The Sun, Lord of Ego, pushes you toward service so you also get your ego strokes that way. When you can help someone and serve others you remain in charge. What you need now, however—and here is the pull—is introspective time, emotional care of your own most tender feelings.

The more you can be out in nature this month, the better for you. There is no place of greater healing for you than outdoors this month. Jupiter, Lord of Expansion, but also the part of you that speaks the language of the birds and the fish, is near the Moon, Queen of the Hearth, in that part of your inner stage that tells you about your need for privacy and spiritual rejuvenation. Both are in Sagittarius, though, which makes them more natural and full of adventure.

Neptune, Lord of Dreams, has dominion over your finances so you are still somewhat in the fog in this area. You dream a lot and imagine what financial things could happen for you now. Some strange things may indeed occur, but control is not something you wield here at this time. Let money come to you. Neptune does remind us of the river that is much more easily navigated downstream than upstream. Go with the flow and learn to trust.

Mars, Warrior Lord, resides in your home. At first, this indicates fights and tension in your home, particularly as Mars is in the sign of Aries. However, because of the harmony between Mars and the Moon there is also great potential for renewal work and renovation, beautification and cleansing. Clean out your basement if you have one. Dig to the back of your closets if you don’t. Think of Mars’s weapon for this as a pitchfork and of what you are pitching as old junk.

Mercury, Lord of Mind, is also in the part of your stage that bespeaks service, so your mind is well suited to take care of others (Mercury is in the caring sign of Cancer) despite your desire to run away and take care of your own needs. You can reflect even better on other people’s issues, on the deeper material concerns of those in your care, after Mercury goes retrograde mid-month.

Venus, Goddess of Beauty and Love, does wonders for you now. While she is generally not particularly interested in relating right now (see introduction), in your case this is different. Your significant other, if you are in a dedicated relationship, brings both beauty and love to you, and you are reminded that even when you feel all torn up inside, love and tender sweetness can make it all better. If you are single, you may find yourself attracted to a new person now, perhaps particularly someone who is in need of a lot of comfort.

Aquarius (January 20–February 18)

This month you want to be intellectually creative and independent, to further your own Big Ideas, as the Sun, Lord of Ego, strives for independence from the Moon, Queen of the Hearth. You feel immensely torn between this ego desire and a deep need to be emotionally accepted among those of like mind. You end up spending a lot of time with groups or organizations with similar beliefs, in order to establish this good feeling you long for so fervently. When you do that, your creative self screams for independence. This inner pull, if translated into art, can bring forth some amazing work. As none of our inner actors are in earth signs as the month opens, balance this by creating something tangible. Work in clay, build a barbeque pit with real stones, or carve a wooden bowl, to name just a few possibilities. Such work would harmonize things out on many levels for you.

A different creative outlet may be strictly intellectual as Mercury, Lord of Mind, is also in a creative mood. Mood is the appropriate word, because he is in the sign of Cancer and therefore emotional thinking is more his style right now. While the Sun may demand that you produce brilliant critical analyses or write the next Great American Novel, your Mercury is far more reflective. This increases after Mercury goes retrograde mid-month. It then becomes a much better time to reevaluate everything in your life. Perhaps focusing all that solar energy into a self-critical, autobiographical analysis would be a very therapeutic step for you.

Mars, Warrior Lord, is in a strong place for you and indicates that you now have the energy to look around your neighborhood and your extended family and ask what you can actively do to change things that aren’t working for you. Who is in and who is out, which neighbors are invited to the party and which one’s aren’t. You wield a sword here. You do this with your family, too, particularly your siblings and any aunts, uncles, and cousins that participate in your life. Mars is in Aries, a fire sign, and fire abounds as the month opens (see the introduction). Fire cleanses, burns away the old; and in alchemy fire is a transformative element. Remember that it is only from ashes that a phoenix can arise. No ashes, no phoenix.

There is one issue with this Mars, though. Neptune, Lord of Dreams, is front and center on your stage now and with his prominent position you are operating somewhat in the fog. You are not quite sure who you are. You look at yourself in the mirror and see a misty and dreamy image call back to you, like a faint echo. So wield that sword carefully. You are not as clear about yourself as you imagine you are.

Your Venus, Goddess of Beauty and Love, needs to be of service this month. Do something beautiful for those you care for—your family, friends, or coworkers. While Venus does not feel particularly outgoing right now, she cannot live without contact. Let her bring flowers and at least spice up your workplace.

Pisces (February 19–March 20)

The celestial tension between the Sun, Lord of Ego, and the Moon, Queen of the Hearth, is reflected in you as a tension between your public persona and your private and more selfish wants. There is an interesting twist here. Typically our feelings are private and we express a more solar, glowing, projecting self to the world. But in your case this month, you wear your feeling on your sleeve and are pulled home to a very private expression of your ego wants. You can’t really tell the world what you want but everyone is made plenty aware of what you need emotionally. Much of what you have to present to the public is highly emotional and charged with your deepest beliefs. In essence you are presenting your inner Moon to the world. Any interest that you have in women’s or children’s issues, or in issues relating to their emotional well-being, is made quite public now. It is also possible that you are less altruistic and are simply venting your own family history (Moon) to the public now.

An ideal way to deal with your inner tension is to shine some light (the Sun) into your home situation. What exactly is going on there? Are you living in the right place? Do you need to brighten the colors, add a few lamps? Let the sunshine in and you will become much clearer about your inner Sun.

Mercury, Lord of Mind, is also in your home now. Much of your deeper reflection is therefore done here. Just because you express your emotions publicly does not mean that they are well reflected. Use this month to think back, particularly as Mercury goes retrograde mid-month. The last two weeks of June are an excellent time to reverse any self-centered notions that you have been holding on too.

You put energy into money now. Mars, Warrior Lord, is active in this area of your inner stage. Mars is also in Aries so he is particularly youthful and somewhat reckless. You want to spend, perhaps even what you don’t have. Because of the current close association of Mars with the Moon, your spending habits are based on deep beliefs about money that you were taught long before you knew better. This then becomes an excellent opportunity not to give in to your impulses, but to show a newfound maturity. Present this to the world: a responsible, new you who loves to spend money—on savings bonds.

Venus, Goddess of Beauty and Love, is very romantic now. The key word for you this month is longing. You have a deep desire to be loved and romantically embraced; however, Venus is feeling isolated and somewhat standoffish right now (see introduction). So you sit around and wait for someone to bring you roses. While this may indeed happen (after all, how long can we let Venus be by herself and not bring her flowers?), there is also real value in your longing. Your creative and artistic side will flourish with wonderful beauty.

July 2007 Planets in Play Monthly Column

General Overview

A celestial finale dominates this month. Saturn, Master of Discipline, and Neptune, Lord of Dreams, have been weaving in and out of a direct face-off since October 2006. This month the tension erupts for a final climactic showdown.

As the heavenly actors reflect their drama in us, we experience a breakdown and dissolution of structures. All those things that held us together, all safety nets and foundational matters, are at risk of simply dissolving. Like New Orleans, we find ourselves awash in forces far beyond our control and our very foundation, and trust in “the system” crumbles beneath and around us. By early September, we will collectively begin to dig through the remains and begin to rebuild, using whatever we can salvage.

Now, however, our feelings are simultaneously raw, immediate, and vague. We struggle to stay above water and, looking for a raft, kick frantically in search of submerged solid land that we can stand on to survive.

As we gaze upward in disbelief we notice that Venus, Goddess of Beauty and Love, is standing in a tight embrace with Saturn and therefore also facing off with Neptune. This triangle reminds us of the mythological story from ancient Greece and the inspiration to Botticelli’s Venus. When Kronos (Saturn) climbed to the heavens and confronted his father, he emasculated the elder and flung his genitals into the sea. From there rose Aphrodite (Venus), beautifully painted by Botticelli in his famous painting. The prelude is the part that your art teacher omitted in art history class. The archetypal notion that from extreme violence and from the froth stirred up by Neptune’s trident we inherit beauty gives us hope for these violent times. In his response to a different war, folksinger Phil Ochs wrote, “In such ugly times the only true protest is beauty.” Venus tells us all something about an apt response to our times. Look around you in July and beautify whatever you can.

Love matters become single-minded now. While we may desire a romantic fling as Neptune intoxicates Venus, the harsh consequences of any out-of-bounds transgressions are predictable. Saturn imposes his harsh rulings as a natural consequence. Better then to focus our affection on those people and issues we take seriously already. You may find that as you reach for the dinghy, your most loved ones are already in it.

Mercury, Lord of the Mind, is still retrograde as the month begins, and we are still in a reflective and somewhat confused mood. On July 10 he goes direct again, and this forward movement finds us turning toward a more organized life. Mercury is also still in Cancer, and like last month we find him more emotional than rational. Our thoughts are similarly introspective and full of feelings. We do get some mental clarity from Mercury’s proximity to the Sun, Lord of Ego, and from his friendly sparring with Mars, Warrior Lord.

With the Moon, Queen of the Hearth, in Capricorn our feelings are guarded and we don’t splurge on domestic luxuries. As Saturn has a natural affinity with Capricorn, Venus and the Moon feel a genuine kinship. We also feel duty-bound when it comes to expressing the feminine. Combined with that extraordinary Neptune, we can say that this month is all about exploring how real our dreams are.

Aries (March 21- April 19)

The Sun, Lord of Ego, shines brightly in your home and you want to create a radiant and comfortable domestic environment. You invest energy and, like the solar king himself, wish to rule here. Your Moon, Queen of the Hearth, will gladly let your Sun do this, because she has opposite desires and wishes to be out in the world. This indicates that your needs to be seen in the world, to be focused and climbing socially, are at odds with your inner desire to nest.

The princess, the dramatic and strikingly gorgeous Venus, Goddess of Beauty and Love, now in Leo, gets all dressed up to party. Alas Old Man Saturn, Master of Discipline, is flanking her this month and every move she makes, he makes too. As if they were running a three-legged race, they are fused into a single being—that is how close they are. We cannot ignore Neptune, Lord of Dreams, as he faces off with this odd couple. Venus gets the brunt of all this complex energy and ends up quite vulnerable. She is now faced with the real possibility that her dreams about love and romance were just illusions.

If you are involved with the arts, harsh reality hits you there too. Someone looks at your paintings or writing and says: “Nice, but do you have a real job too?” While this is painful, it is also sobering, another attribute of Saturn/Neptune.

Speaking of sobering, any Venus-type addictions—to love, sugar, recognition, and gossip—can also become very obvious now. With Neptune’s involvement any Neptunian candy (drugs, alcohol) lures you, and with Saturn the harsh consequences of such an attraction becomes squarely real. The best way to deal with this intense relationship on your inner stage is to ask yourself in what single artistic activity you show the greatest talent. Then focus on this. Play lots of music (if you play an instrument, play that, or wash your world in others’ music). This takes the attention off your romantic needs and ideals. It never makes sense to attempt to steer a dinghy in a storm. Rather, focus on what is right there before you, the tasks at hand, like holding on to the edge of the boat.

Some of the other actors stand by your Venus this month and help her craft despite her suffering. For instance, Mars, Warrior Lord, now in Taurus, a sign that is akin to Venus, is prominent for you. He also wants to pursue creative activities and teams up with Mercury, Lord of Mind, in a most friendly way. This Mercury, now in Cancer, is dressed in a house coat and shuffling around the home in comfy slippers. Mars and Mercury bring you a certain clarity and capacity to express your feelings. Now if you can just remember that love, and even money, are on hold this month—if instead you look inwardly and express your focused desires in your creativity, then you will be just fine.

Taurus (April 20 – May 20)

Venus, Goddess of Beauty and Love, the ruler of your sign (meaning that there is a natural kinship between her and Taurus) has moved into your home this month. Well, not literally, but she is now in that part of your inner stage that speaks to your home and hearth. You look around and ask yourself if there is enough beauty in your neighborhood, in your house, and in your family.

Since Saturn, Master of Discipline, is standing close to Venus (see general overview above) you may feel inadequate when it comes to your home. Saturn always asks us to put our nose to the grindstone, so a few trips to the hardware store are well advised. Dig up the “honey-do” list and get cracking. Any beautification project will do. Plant flowers, paint, or redecorate.

Venus also loves company. Remember that schmoozing is one of her favorite activities. Throw a party in your home now. You may find that it is much more work than you had anticipated (Saturn), but in the end, pleasure is all yours. Other ways to live out your Saturn would be to have a business meeting in your home or to invite a group of people that are much older than you.

The opposition to Neptune, Lord of Dreams, (again, see the general overview above) pulls you between your home life and your work. You are still confused and dreamy at work, perhaps fantasizing about a different way to spend your days. If you read this column regularly, you may wonder why this happens from month to month. Neptune moves very slowly and so the changes relating to him can take years. With Venus in close play now, you may seriously consider a business out of your home. Just remember that Neptune is a dreamer. Neptune paints castles in the sky more often than he ever builds them.

Besides your concern for domestic matters, you also put much energy into your siblings and your immediate environment. The Sun, Lord of Ego, energizes your family ties and Mercury, Lord of Mind, standing near the Sun now, brings forth endless conversations with aunts and uncles. You may also get to know your neighbors better and become the organizing and central force in your neighborhood. With the Sun in Cancer you show a maternal need to make everyone feel at home.

With the Moon on the other side of your inner stage, in an area addressing your philosophical outlook on life, you may feel uncomfortable with some of the neighbors you just invited. You discover that they have very different political views or ways of raising their children.

This whole month you think a lot about things and at times find yourself preoccupied with what is right and wrong in your life. With Mars, Warrior Lord, in close harmony with Mercury and in the most mystical and spiritual area of your inner stage, all this thinking brings you close to your innermost mystery.

Gemini (May 21 – June 20)

Typically you care more about ideas than things. This month is different. The Sun, Lord of Ego, highlights that part of your chart that addresses your values and also all your material “stuff.” Suddenly you are cutting out coupons. Your significant other, should you have one, looks at you suspiciously as you skip the crossword puzzle in the Sunday paper and instead turn the pages directly to the special deals advertised in the inserts. Home furnishings and items that make you (and your family) feel better are at the top of your list. On a larger scale you may now focus on your nest egg and address issues of long-term security. If this is the case, then you may buy investments, perhaps even look at homes.

If you have a sister (or several)