Midlife Transits

In February, Pluto reaches 9 degrees and starts moving really, really slowly. In your solar chart, Pluto is responsible for scrutinizing the idea of common sense (something your sign likes) and figuring out how to turn common sense into a moral code. That may seem like an odd thing for Pluto to do, but he’s taking the project seriously. There’s an awful lot of conflict in the world today, and times are tough economically, as you may have noticed. The planets want you to have a very firm grasp of your moral stance, because it may very well be challenged in 2012 by all kinds of weirdnesses you never anticipated might cause a moral dilemma. (more…)

The big news for Taurus as 2012 opens involves Mars in Virgo. This active little planet barrels through your solar 5th house until the 23rd of January, then starts racing backward as though it forgot something earlier in the sign and has to scooch back to pick it up. What this means is that Mars spends an unusually long time in your solar house of self-expression. Mars is the planet that tells you ‘do it your way! your way is better! don’t do it someone else’s way, that’s lame.’ (more…)

Oh it’s all about the moon this month, Taurus. Okay, it’s not all about the moon; it’s about a lunar eclipse and Mars in your solar 5th house of love. The lunar eclipse on the 10th of December seemingly signals some sort of a financial loss, which is not necessarily as bad as it sounds like it could be. An eclipse-related loss often opens the way for greater gains down the road. (more…)

There is a lot going on astrologically in November, but the first two subjects that occur to me in looking at your solar chart are sensuality and relationships. The idea of sensuality comes from Jupiter in your own physically oriented sign, and the focus on relationships comes from the fact that this is Scorpio month, and Scorpio is your solar sign of relationships. Some of you will enter into a new sexual relationship soon, thanks to the influence of a new moon eclipse in Sagittarius on November 25. Sagittarius is your solar sign of sexuality. (more…)

The truth is that your sign is known for being highly materialistic. If that’s true for you, you should take advantage of Jupiter in your sign, as Jupiter can bring material benefits to the people whose sign he visits. How can you take advantage of Jupiter? Lots of ways.

For example, there’s a lot of energy in your job sector this month. Is your job paying you as much as you need? Is it set up in way that supports you, supports your harmony and material as well as spiritual growth? If you’re not being paid enough for what you do, you might want to seek a raise or make some changes to correct that situation.

You could engage in other activities, such as feng shui, that support the free flow of material resources and promote a more harmonious environment. You could take inventory of your stuff and clear out anything that might be blocking your energy. With the sun, Mercury, and Venus all moving into Scorpio this month (the energy starts on the 9th), you could also take stock of your resources. And I don’t just mean your tangible resources, I mean your relationship resources. Throughout October, other people are likely to be willing to support you in all kinds of ways.

Consider what that means to you. I’m sure you can think of other ways to focus on  material abundance in your life while balancing that and harmonizing that with relationship abundance. Use your instincts to guide yourself toward a more prosperous and comfortable path.

September presents us with planets in all three earth signs, which is nice for you because you’re an earth sign person yourself. Earth sign energy is great for the simple pleasures and joys of life on earth, such as getting out in the garden, mucking around and getting ready for the switch from summer to fall. Virgo month is also Taurus’s love life month. Venus is behaving herself this year, sliding gracefully along in Virgo during the first half of September.

Venus in Virgo is pickier in her choice of lovers than some other Venus placements, but don’t let that stop you from getting out there and keeping your eyes open for someone to be attracted to. You never know where Venus will find someone to catch her discerning eye. Virgo is ruled by Mercury, and Mercury loves writing, reading, and conversations. He also loves your cell phone.

As it so happens, Mars, the planet of desire, will also be in the Mercury-ruled 3rd house in your solar chart during the first half of the month. For a time, Mars will love these things too. If you are in the market to meet someone new, don’t overlook striking up a conversation around wordy, intellectual things, complimenting someone’s written work, or following up on an encounter with a friendly text. Love via cell phone may seem a bit cold for your earthy nature–but it’s the modern world and if it works, it works.

If you aren’t in the market to meet someone new and don’t much care about your love life, all the Virgo energy is still good news. That’s because Virgo represents your solar 5th house of pleasure. Virtually anything you care to do for the sheer fun of it is favored during the first half of September.

During the second half of the month, Venus turns her attention to your workplace. Here she can often be seen smoothing over relations with co-workers. Finally, Mars will enter Leo and your domestic life sector on the 18th. So the second half of the month is more about work and home. Get your fun stuff in early!

If there’s one thing the sign of Taurus loves, it’s the feeling of security. Cozy awareness that one is safe from danger out there is one of Taurus’s favorite things and encourages Taurus to love its home, family, community, and country. It’s tempting to say that if you are a good Taurus in August, Jupiter in your sign will reward you with exactly the feelings your sign loves. I don’t know if that’s actually true, because Jupiter’s idea of just rewards is sometimes a little bouncier and more erratic than the ideas of a reliable planet like Saturn.

But…I can tell you from experience that when Jupiter is cooking in your chart, it can flow through your life as a delicious feeling of contentment. Have faith that you are secure and you will be; that’s what the astrology basically boils down to. Resolve to make August a playful, peaceful month and to avoid any potholes of drama that may open up.

The sun, Venus, and Mercury traverse your solar sector of home life this month, making things there nice indeed. People in your home space are slotted to be more agreeable than usual in August–at least until the 21st. Then Venus and the sun start moving over to the part of your solar chart that represents your love life–making life even better if that’s possible. To take advantage of the good vibes, try to stick close to home at least until the very last week of the month. Mars in Cancer doesn’t feeling like taking any long trips and could well get very grumpy if you try to anyway.

From the 26th on, planets in Virgo align with Pluto to make the prospect of long-distance travel more appealing. While you’re at home, you can use Venus and the sun to do some gentle fixing up or beautifying of your living space. Move the furniture; get things exactly the way you like them right now. That should make you feel good.

You might also want to make a note of the days around the 30th of August. On the 30th, your ruler Venus makes a very nice trine to Jupiter in your sign. You can use this trine simply to schedule a nice date with your honey or a special night with your kids. But you can also you use it for other things.

Jupiter in your sign encourages exploration of the principles you use to guide your life. Venus puts you in touch with your values and your feelings. You can align the two around this time, starting with the new moon in Virgo on the 28th. What do you value? What truly gives you deep, soulful pleasure? Are you guiding your life in the direction your soul prefers? You should be able to feel the answers to these questions around the 30th. If none of that appeals, this is also a good time for creative self-expression, for being craftsy, for making stuff out of the materials you have on hand.

Jupiter also stations this month on the 30th before going retrograde. A planet is usually particularly strong around the time that it stations. Jupiter in your sign also focuses a spotlight on your possessions and resources (of all kinds, spiritual and mental as well tangible). The second half of August would be a good time to take stock of what you have, as opposed to thinking about what you don’t have! Jupiter in your own sign is also about personal growth; it brings many gifts.

The little bit of sharpness in the month comes from Mars in Cancer in the part of your chart that deals with neighbors and nearby relatives. The days around the 18th are good for making peace with these folks if peace needs to be made.

Uranus in Aries skids to a stop in July. Uranus’s job in your chart is chew over some anger that your chart is generally trying hide from others or at least not foist upon them. Or it may be chewing over a craving for excitement that your chart is similarly trying to keep from being obvious to everyone else. When Uranus stations and retrogrades as it does this month, there is the possibility that some of the anger or craving will go accidentally flying through the windshield as Uranus hits the brakes.

No need to be unduly alarmed. Reassure yourself and others that these sensations are just feelings that Uranus is chewing over, not indications of frightening resentment or self-destructive impulses for danger. Uranus is just exploring unfamiliar parts of your psyche, not giving you a command to be reckless. It’s all cool; no need to jump off any boats.

It’s not a bad idea to keep a journal or a dream log during this period; it could help Uranus connect the dots so that you get the self-understanding that Uranus is ultimately going for. Uranus doesn’t like ‘musts,’ ‘shoulds,’ or anything else that unduly restricts your freedom. He can be like the two-year-old of planets, instinctively saying ‘No!’ whenever told to do something. So you might explore whether or not anything in your life is subconsciously chafing right now, even though awhile ago it was just fine.

Uranus is also the opposite of possessive–so sometimes it requires a bit of work to realize that he might want you to set someone else in your circle free. Self-help books can be a good investment when you have a long 12th house transit, as Taurus does for right now.

On a lighter note, Mars is in Gemini and your solar 2nd house of spending money. Gemini is a natural flirt, so you may find this a month when you are laying down the bucks to strike sparks with a special someone. Happy Jupiter is also in your sign and would probably approve of any fun expenditures you have in mind. Jupiter and Mars can also be creative forces, encouraging craft-y endeavors and creative projects. If neither of those fits, treat yourself to whatever pleases you. If you really can’t afford a splurge, at least go window shopping.

You can also use the energy to set financial goals for the next couple of years; that’s about how long it takes for a Mars cycle to play out. Mars is a confidence builder; you can use him to pump up your financial attitude.

There’s also a solar eclipse in Cancer this month, on the 1st. This is the last of a series in your solar 3rd house and it fits right in with Mars and Jupiter. If this eclipse affects you, it is likely to require you to make some sort of a mental effort (or maybe a physical effort) to master some concept, skill, or information you’ll need in your life going forward. Both Mars and Jupiter this month love that sort of thing; they love to learn stuff, whether it be how to make something, fix something, or understand something. Because Cancer is a family-oriented sign, you may start a new endeavor with a family member at this time.

Toward the end of the month, the emphasis on family picks up in a new way. The sun, Mercury, Venus, and a new moon on the 30th will be in the sign of Leo. Leo represents your domestic life in your solar chart. When the sun and new moon are in Leo, they mark the annual dog days of summer when family desires may conflict with your own. Keep the lines of communication with family members open and strong this month; talk things out. Venus should soothe any conflicts that arise when she enters Leo on the 28th.

Not much emphasis on partners or your love life right now, but Mercury does move into your solar 5th house of love and fun on the 28th, so things may seem a bit more romantic then. Finally, Saturn starts moving forward at a reasonable speed in your solar 6th house of work and health, so things may start picking up on those fronts.

Jupiter leaves Aries in June (on the 4th) and moves into your own sign. Jupiter in one’s own sign often has an effect on relationships because it stirs up a need for freedom. You may feel those stirrings as early as this month, and if you do, you need to share this info with your partner. The need for freedom is often a bit scary to a Taurus person because Taurus would generally rather be suffocated than alone.

This equation changes under Jupiter’s influence, and it’ll catch your partner off guard unless you update him or her on your evolving personal reality. It may seem impolite to tell a partner, ‘hey I gotta get out and breathe a little,’ especially since Taurus often doesn’t like hearing that kind of news from others. But…if you catch things early, your partner is likely to consent to larger horizons for you without too much drama. That should probably be your first priority this month, to head off trouble before it starts.

This is especially true because another freedom seeking planet (Uranus in Aries)  is rumbling around in your sector of subconscious motivations, just waiting to explode if it doesn’t get its independence-loving way. It’s triply true for June because Mars, another independence-craving influence, is still in your sign until the 2oth. Mars just wants you to set things up so that everybody gets their fair share in the relationship and so that it’s all sorted out who contributes and receives what. If things are unfair, Mars gets all mad until they get more fair; that can lead to unexpected conflicts unless you know what’s going on in your chart. This dynamic applies to group situations as well as one-on-one relationships by the way. When Mars moves into Gemini, the focus shifts a bit to stuff you are required to do for work or school assignments, for productivity.

June is also eclipse month. There’s a solar eclipse in Gemini on June 1 and a lunar eclipse in Sagittarius on June 15. The most typical manifestation of these types of eclipses are gains and losses with regard to money. For example, you could earn more through a change in your salary status. Guard your valuables as thefts are possible during this type of eclipse series. Occasionally, the lunar eclipse may also relate to letting go of a bad habit you’ve wanted to change for a long time.

The sign of Taurus is in an awkward position these days. It’s not really looking for a fight and it’s not really in a mood for radical change, but the rest of the world seems to be itching for both these things. And so Taurus has to decide–well, choose to fight or…don’t choose to fight? The specifics of the dilemma vary from Taurus person to Taurus person, but the underlying dynamics are there.

It’s been a tough call; the odds seem about even either way. Still, you gotta choose, especially if the issue in contention has to do with perhaps bringing your secrets to light or with something that’s been bringing you chronic stress. Strike first or suss out the situation first? Here’s a hint as to the outcome: pick your battle carefully and then go ahead and engage in combat.

With Uranus in Aries for the next 7 years, one way or another, you are going to be called upon to learn how to fight for yourself effectively, even when you don’t feel like it. It’s not going to help to be in denial.

Now on to the cheerier stuff: love! From the 9th through the 16th, Mercury runs around meeting up with Jupiter and Venus, and both Mercury and Venus move from Aries into your sign. This is good for romantic love and it’s good for plain old love for anyone you like in your life. It’s a great month to dig through your memory bank for people you’ve always had affection for and get in contact with them.

As for the Taurus solar year ahead, there’s some good news. Jupiter enters your sign next month and hangs out for a year to keep you company and brighten your spirits and perhaps your financial situation. On the not so good side, it’s still a rather explosive and argumentative year. Not quite as volatile as the first 5 months have been, but still a bit out there. There’s energy in your sector of hidden enemies, which doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be popping out of the woodwork. It does mean, probably, that your perception of a situation and other people’s perception of it do not quite sync up. To add a slightly surreal but good twist to things, Neptune will leave Aquarius for good before the year is out and he may leave a gift on your doorstep as he goes.

An appropriate Neptunian gift would be some sort of honor, award, or recognition relating to your career or work, one that you never thought would happen, but that is more than super-peachy.

April is almost all about the paradox of having 6 action-craving planets in Aries tumbling through the part of your chart that relates to rest and relaxation and not being all that active. These planets want attention at the same time that Pluto stands back in your chart trying to get the big picture and prevent them from sabotaging you or goading you into violating your basic prudent principles.

It may all be a bit hard to sort out, especially as Mercury spends until the 23rd going backwards. That wouldn’t be so bad, but Mercury is traveling through the part of your chart that already has a slippery grasp on what’s actually real and what’s just inside your own head. ‘Now, now, now!’ the Aries planets will shout (especially Mars), even when they don’t know exactly what they or you want.

It’s like you’re being forced to feel like taking action when you really probably shouldn’t right yet. Things will get better, especially when Mars moves into your own sign after the 10th of next month. You can, however, use Jupiter’s influence in Aries to plot your course for the future, which may pick up considerably especially on the financial front when Jupiter enters Taurus in June. You can also look for the hidden gold in any troubles you may have, because this is one of the metaphysical meanings of having powerful planets in your solar 12th house.

On the good side, the sun enters your sign on the 20th. Neptune also enters Pisces on the 4th. At that time, you’ll see an increased emphasis on your friends and friendships.

It’s only March, and already your chart’s got the pre-birthday jitters, thanks to a lineup of planets moving into your solar 12th house and the sign of Aries. These planets are the sun on the 20th, Mercury on the 9th, and Uranus on the 11th. Jupiter is already in Aries. Aries is the kind of 12th house sign that could make a susceptible Taurus impulsively grab the entire cake or tray of brownies and run into the back room to consume it rather than taking the tiny little sliver of sweets they intended to take.

With Mercury in this sign until mid-May thanks to retrogrades, you could also find various relatives giving you trouble as they bounce back and forth from driving you crazy to not driving you crazy and back again. Jupiter in the 12th meanwhile isn’t doing much; the 12th is where he goes to hide out and chill. But Uranus in Aries–whole different story. Uranus in Aries in the 12th house is the symbol of a brave spirit bursting forth or spiritual action taking hold. Victory through spirit.

Uranus is the one you need to listen to, not only because he’s the loudest, but because he’s the most effective. You can spend the first couple of weeks hanging out, trying to figure out what a brave spirit would look like in your life. Then you can spend the rest of the month behaving as if you have a brave spirit, even if you’re pretty sure you don’t. Cuz it turns out that when Uranus gives you some support, you sure do. So feel free to walk around all month muttering to yourself “I have a brave spirit; I have a brave spirit.” And then watch what happens. Could be a lot more than you expect.

During the first half of 2011, Jupiter in Aries is going to be trying to teach you Taurus folks that it is okay to feel the fear that is normal for a security-conscious sign but that it is time for you to learn how to not let it sabotage you. You could cooperate with Jupiter in February by picking one harmless thing that you nevertheless dread doing and do it anyway.

If you want to be super-astrologically correct, you could pick two things and focus them on your career. That’s because Mars, the ruler of Aries, is busy until February 22 energizing your career sector. Mars loves it when you do scary things, because Mars loves to exercise courage. Make him happy by being bold at work.

An easy time to do this would be during the first week when there’s beaucoup career energy for you to work with. On the 2nd there’s your career new moon. On the third, Mercury enters your career sector. On the 4th, Mars and the sun meet in your career sector. On the 5th, there’s an opportunity angle between Jupiter and Mercury in your career sector. You get the picture. There’s a lot going on in your career sector.

After the 22nd, you can make Mars happy again by setting some dangerously courageous goals because Mars will be in your house of….goals. The basic idea is to go toward what you normally avoid or to face what you normally like to ignore.

Happy New Year, Taurus. 2011 starts out with two astrological events that are not going to recur for a long time. One is a solar eclipse in Capricorn on the 4th, the last solar eclipse in Capricorn for a number of years. The other is the combination of Jupiter and Uranus in Pisces. That’s not going to happen again in your lifetime.

The eclipse should bring you some sort of a fresh start in the area of education or travel; that’s if the eclipse affects you at all. Jupiter and Uranus–well, Jupiter in this spot in your chart often works to increase the number or extent of your surface contacts, acquaintances, etc. Uranus–well, who knows. It generally adds an explosive component to the configuration. They’re both in Pisces, the sign of the ocean. Put them all together and it would certainly make for an interesting time to take a cruise. You’d have an adventure, meet a lot of people, and get some sort of a fresh start. If you can’t get on a ship, then a group adventure of the mind would work well with the energy too. These influences are strongest during the first 10 days of the month.

I don’t want to oversell this. The sun will remain in conservative Capricorn until the 20th; this is not a configuration that is necessarily destined to change you in some noticeable or permanent way. Capricorn and Pisces are both compatible signs with yours; any transitions are likely to be smooth.

As for a sneak peek at the year ahead–the signs in play are Pisces, Aries and your own. Neptune will move into Pisces in April; Uranus will move into Aries in March, and Jupiter actually moves into Aries on the 22nd of this month. Jupiter moves into your sign in June, bringing hopefully a nice lilt to the second half of the year. Neither Neptune nor Uranus will really take direct aim at your sign in 2011. Conditions and aspects will vary over the course of the year, as they always do, but for most of you it will be a pretty normal year.