Chapter 5 - Earth Signs: Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn

In This Chapter

• Considering Taurus
  
• Focusing on Virgo
  
• Contemplating Capricorn

Just as the universe burst into existence with the fireball of the Big Bang, the cycle of the zodiac lifts off with a blast of fire, the most energetic of the four traditional elements. Fire creates heat, light, and movement. But whatís the point of all that combustion if it leads to nothing? Without earth, fire would burn itself out like a spray of fireworks against the night sky. Earth signs ground the energy of fire by turning the sizzle into something tangible. Cautious where fire is bold, earth signs are stable, sensible, productive, persistent, and materialistic - and I don't mean that in a bad way. Unlike less realistic signs, earth signs understand and respect material things, including money. They're also sensuous, responsive human beings who glory in the physical world in all its splendor.

Fire sends off sparks, no question. Air talks up a storm. And no one understands the impact of emotion like Water. But if you want to actually get something done, look to Earth.

Astrological tradition allots three signs to each of the four elements. The earth signs, recognized for their productivity and pragmatic approach to life, include the following:

• Taurus the Bull (April 19 to May 20), the sign of fixed earth. Taurus is known for its persistence, its longing for security, and - in case you thought that earth signs are only about practicality - its love of pleasure.

• Virgo the Virgin (August 23 to September 22), the sign of mutable earth. Virgo is famed for its analytical mind, its attention to detail, and its tendency to be a perfectionist.

• Capricorn the Goat (December 22 to January 19), the sign of cardinal fire. The Goat is resourceful, conscientious, and ambitious.

These signs share a desire to make a tangible contribution. If earth is your element, read on. In this chapter, I present your great traits and your grating traits, along with information about relationships and work.

The sun's position in the heavens at the time of your birth determines your sign. If you were born at the beginning or end of a sign or you're unsure about your sign, turn to Chapter 1 and read the section entitled "Born on the Cusp." Also, in addition to its element, each sign has a polarity (positive or negative) and a quality or modality (cardinal, fixed, or mutable). For more on these terms, refer to Chapter 1.

Sagittarius the Archer: November 22 - December 21

Independent, lively, and brimming with an irrepressible sense of possibility, you feel most vibrantly alive when you're having an adventure in the world. For that you can thank Jupiter, your ruler, the planet of expansion and good fortune.

The glyph of Sagittarius (see Figure 4-4) represents the centaurís arrow and your high aspirations.

Figure 4-4:
The symbol of Sagittarius.

The sunny side

At your happiest and best, you're a free spirit, a cheerful wanderer, an honest and intelligent companion, and a philosopher who likes to ponder the big questions - preferably with a few pals and a plentiful supply of snacks. You see life as an ongoing quest for experience and wisdom, not as a search for security. Restless and excitable, with a rapid-fire wit, you chafe under restriction and demand autonomy, which you happily extend to others.

In your eternal quest for experience and knowledge, you pursue a multitude of interests and you set ambitious, wide-ranging goals for yourself. You want to see the world and understand it, which is why your sign rules travel, philosophy, religion, law, and abstractions of all kinds.

Sagittarius is freethinking, casual, open-minded, and optimistic (though a couple of planets in Scorpio can dampen your spirits and add a touch of melancholy). You connect easily with all kinds of people and are said to be lucky. The truth is that your spontaneous decisions and out-there gambles occasionally pay off, but what benefits you the most is your fearless attitude. Sure, troubles may come. No one is immune to that. But ultimately, buoyed by your curiosity and belief in the future, you bounce back. You look at it this way: What other choice is there?

The sorry side

Like the centaur, your half-human, half-horse symbol, you're divided. Part of you aspires to party into the night (that's the quadruped half). The other part of you aims high, longing to expand your mind and explore the infinite reaches of the spirit. Sounds good, but you can be a blowhard - and without a target, you flounder. Impractical and disorganized, you're easily sidetracked and must battle a tendency to procrastinate. You fritter away endless amounts of time and energy (and money). Moreover, you can be unreliable, with an unfortunate tendency to promise more than you can actually deliver. You don't mean to misrepresent yourself; it's just that your innate optimism causes you to overestimate your ability.

A peculiar fact about Sagittarius is that although you supposedly love the outdoors, you may not spend much time there. (As Sagittarian Woody Allen said, ìI'm at two with nature.î) And though you thrive on exercise, you can be physically clumsy. More significantly, you can be dogmatic and fanatical, with an exasperating propensity to preach. Finally, there's your legendary tactlessness. You haven't learned to lie, even when it's a kindness to do so. A friend shows up with badly cropped hair or a hideous new outfit? You blurt out the unflattering truth. It's the flip side of your honesty - and it's nothing to be proud of.

Relationships
Funny, generous, enthusiastic, and direct, the Archer loves to talk and makes friends easily. Stimulating conversation and a clever sense of humor carry a lot of weight with you. You also prize personal freedom, making romance much trickier than friendship. Despite a tendency to take risks in other areas, you tend to hold back romantically and are famous for being resistant to commitment. Whether you come across as a Don Juan, an inconstant lover, or a monk-in-training, you usually manage to maintain your independence, even at the cost of occasional loneliness. Besides, you're an optimist (though you may think otherwise). So why settle for someone who's less than perfect when Match.com alone offers thousands of eligible soul mates at the click of a mouse? No wonder it's hard to choose. Denizens of other signs may rush to the altar, anxious to pair up and settle down. You have fantasies aplenty - but they're not about weddings, gift registries, mortgages, or twins. You'd just as soon see the world and develop some of your own talents.

When you do ultimately connect (and fear not, it happens all the time), you sincerely hope that the relationship will lead to a larger, more fulfilling life - not a more constrained one. You have nothing against domesticity, but it is not your dream, and stability is not your guiding principle. Instead, you seek a life of adventure, be it literal, intellectual, or spiritual, with plenty of laughs along the way - and an active, accomplished companion who doesn't mind being with someone as independent as you. Even in a fully committed, deeply passionate relationship, Sagittarius always needs some space.

For information on the Archer's relationships with other signs, turn to Chapter 15.

Work
Sagittarius is the sign of higher education, and the professions associated with the sign reflect that. Blessed with a love of learning and a yearning to do something that matters, you're well suited for teaching, publishing, journalism, law, religion, communications, and anything involving international relations or travel. You dislike bureaucracy and grow restless in a rigidly structured organization. Whatever you do, your intellect needs to be engaged. Versatile and quick, you're easily distracted and may accept a hodgepodge of assignments just to keep things interesting. Big projects and high ideals excite you. Bookkeeping doesn't. Financial management doesn't. Indeed, it's the small stuff that trips you up - and yet your professional success depends upon your ability to handle the details. Learning to delegate is another one of your challenges. A natural egalitarian, you hate to request assistance and are uncomfortable asking others to perform the dull tasks you'd just as soon dodge yourself. Finally, you may face issues of time management. In a world full of fascinating distractions, it's essential to use your time to advantage. But you already know that.

If you work for a Sagittarian, your essential task is to keep the big picture in mind and make sure things are moving forward. If your work is generally on target, the Archer won't nitpick you to death. Sagittarius isn't a micromanager. On the other hand, if you need help with something specific, you may not get it. After all, you already received a rundown of the situation - right? And be prepared: Detail-averse Sagittarians don't object to working overtime. If you're a strict 9-to-5er, the Archer may question your commitment.

 

Classic Sagittarians

• Mark Twain, Tyra Banks (Moon in Aries)
• Christina Aguilera, Lucy Liu, Jim Morrison, Diego Rivera (Moon in Taurus)
• Jeff Bridges, Edith Piaf, Tina Turner (Moon in Gemini)
• William Blake, Jimi Hendrix (Moon in Cancer)
• Winston Churchill, Katie Holmes (Moon in Leo)
• Frank Zappa, Samuel L. Jackson (Moon in Virgo)
• Jane Austen, Emily Dickinson, Jay Z (Moon in Libra)
• Scarlett Johansson, Bruce Lee, Steven Spielberg (Moon in Scorpio)
• Ludwig von Beethoven, Joan Didion, Jon Stewart (Moon in Sagittarius)
• Brad Pitt, T. C. Boyle (Moon in Capricorn)
• Woody Allen, Britney Spears, Caroline Kennedy (Moon in Aquarius)
• Joe DiMaggio, Frank Sinatra (Moon in Pisces)

Sagittarius: The Basic Facts

• Polarity: Positive
• Favorable Colors: Purple and blue
• Quality: Mutable
• Lucky Gem: Turquoise
• Element: Fire
• Parts of the Body: Hips and thighs
• Symbol: The Centaur
• Metal: Tin
• Ruling Planet: Jupiter
• Key Phrase: I see
• Opposite Sign: Gemini
• Major Traits: Adventurous, independent 

Leo the Lion: July 23 - August 22

I used to imagine that I was somehow unique in having so many Leo friends. I have come to understand that Leos are so outgoing and warm that they accumulate friends the way other people collect shoes. Fact is, I've met very few people who don't have a Lion or two among their closest companions.

The swirling glyph of Leo (see Figure 4-3) represents the lion's tail, the lion's mane, or the creative force of the Sun.

Figure 4-3:
The glyph of Leo.

The sunny side

You've got flair. If you're a typical Leo, you're outgoing, loyal, determined, cheerful, and likable. You're active, with an astoundingly busy social calendar and a pile of responsibilities. Whatever you may do for a living, your schedule is crammed full. You aim to live life to the fullest - and have a good time while you're at it. Even in ordinary conversations, you fall into the role of entertaining other people because you love to be the center of attention - and with the Sun as your ruling planet, you really do light up the room. Equipped with a lively sense of humor, vividly rendered opinions, and the ability to have fun even under adverse conditions, you present yourself with confidence and pizazz. Radiant and proud, you have charisma to burn.

You also have a king-of-the-jungle sense of dignity - and an equally regal sense of entitlement to go with it. You appreciate luxury and glamour in all their forms. (Your color is gold, your metal is gold, and your aura is gold.) Yet despite your aristocratic ways and your need to be pampered, you respect hard work and are willing to shoulder more than your share of the responsibility. Although you can be demanding, you value loyalty and return it in kind. You're helpful and generous, a staunch supporter of an underdog or a friend in distress. And you bring the party with you. Naturally, you want to be acknowledged. What's wrong with that?

The sorry side

Beneath your flamboyant exterior, you would be humiliated if anyone ever knew how hard you try or how vulnerable you feel. In your desperate efforts to get people to like you, you hog center stage, sometimes reducing everyone around you to audience members. (You should know that most people don't enjoy that role.) You're inclined to tell people what you think they want to hear, even if it means weaseling out later when the truth is revealed. You tend to exaggerate, partially because you want to tell a riveting story and partially because you want to cast yourself in a flattering light. It's a matter of strategy: You figure that if you play your cards right, you'll triumph.

You can also be arrogant, overbearing, vain, self-aggrandizing, and histrionic - a real drama queen. You can be dogmatic about the tiniest things - shampoo, say. Or barbecue sauce. Or what other people ought to do with their lives. I don't mean to be harsh, but your urge to give unsolicited advice gets old, even though your motivation is noble. An idealist of the first order, you know what life ought to be. If only you could figure out how to make it happen - and how to convince other people to play their parts. You're more demanding than you realize - and more controlling. And you find it difficult to admit mistakes. When you calm down and stop manipulating, your warmth and generosity come through, and you command the adoration that you crave.

Relationships

Your self-assurance and easy-going humor draw a crowd. The center of any social scene, you're an accomplished party-thrower and a sought-after dinner guest. Although you like to maintain the upper hand in a relationship, and you rely on the attentions of others to keep your ego in shape, you also know how to bestow affection and admiration. People feel privileged to be your friend.

As for romance, Leo loves to be in love and believes in everything symbolic of that state - from Saturday night (which is sacred) to flowers, phone calls, breakfast in bed, loads of sex, and plenty of bling. (I've known Leos to leave dog-eared copies of the Tiffany catalogue on the breakfast table, just to make sure the message comes across.) You're definitely high maintenance, though you undoubtedly think otherwise. When times are good, you're passionate, accommodating, supportive, and adoring. When things are falling apart, you do too, becoming domineering, arrogant, and jealous. Should a hot affair cool into dull predictability, you may even stir things up, just to keep life interesting. And when your beloved disappoints you, you're devastated, even if you don't let it show. For all your bluster, you have a tender heart.

Finally, I want to add a note about animals. In traditional astrological lore, pets aren't associated with Leo. But I have noticed that the people I know who treat their pets like family, cart them around in Louis Vuitton cases, purchase wardrobes for them, publish books about them, or appear on television with their squirming bulldogs on their laps to protest against puppy mills, are overwhelmingly Leos. Not every Leo has a pet, and some wouldn't dream of it. (They don't want to be upstaged.) But those who do value their four-legged friends invest themselves fully in the relationship.

For information on Leo's relationships with other signs, take a look at Chapter 15.

Work

Because Leos enjoy basking in the limelight, people occasionally assume that you aren't hard-working. This judgment couldn't be further from the truth. Leos are hugely ambitious and somewhat opportunistic. You're resourceful and productive, a skilled organizer with a sharp business sense. Many Leos speculate with abandon. You seek recognition more than most, fantasize about fame, and are willing to work at maximum intensity. If you're at the top of the heap, even in a tiny, home-based business, you feel powerful and magnanimous. You happily make room for others, both as partners and as employees, and you're not afraid to get your hands dirty or to share a pizza with the part-time staff.

But no matter how gratifying your job may be in other respects, you can't exist without a little razzle-dazzle. Ideal careers are musician (Madonna), actor (Halle Berry), clothing designer (Coco Chanel), politician (Bill Clinton, Barack Obama), and anything that's likely to put you in front of a group of people. Fifth-grade teacher? Fine. Lawyer? Sure, especially if you can strut your stuff in court. President of anything? Absolutely. Star of screen and stage? Now you're talking.

If you work for a Leo, be prepared to work intensely (except when your boss is in the mood to talk), to shower him or her with respect and compliments, and to step politely aside whenever the spotlight is turned on. Your allegiance and your skill will be privately recognized - and rewarded. Leo is warm and generous. But remember, Leo rules. The term of art here is "benevolent despot."

Classic Leos

• Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Andy Warhol, Jennifer Lopez (Moon in Aries)
• Bill Clinton, Mick Jagger, Kyra Sedgwick (Moon in Taurus)
• Amelia Earhart, Tony Bennett (Moon in Gemini)
• Emily Bronté, Annie Oakley, Sean Penn (Moon in Cancer)
• Charlize Theron, Halle Berry (Moon in Leo)
• Madonna, Dustin Hoffman, J. K. Rowling (Moon in Virgo)
• Fidel Castro, Belinda Carlisle, Julia Child (Moon in Libra)
• Alfred Hitchcock, Ben Affleck, Steve Martin (Moon in Scorpio)
• Herman Melville, Magic Johnson, Martha Stewart (Moon in Sagittarius)
• Napoleon Bonaparte, Arnold Schwarzenegger (Moon in Capricorn)
• Sandra Bullock, Beatrix Potter (Moon in Aquarius)
• Coco Chanel, Robert De Niro (Moon in Pisces)

Leo: The Basic Facts

• Polarity: Positive
• Favorable Colors: Gold and orange
• Quality: Fixed
• Lucky Gem: Ruby
• Element: Fire
• Parts of the Body: Heart and spine
• Symbol: The Lion
• Metal: Gold
• Ruling Planet: The Sun
• Key Phrase: I will
• Opposite Sign: Aquarius
• Major Traits: Extroverted, demanding

Aries the Ram: March 20 - April 18

The astrological year starts on the spring equinox, which is the first day of Aries, the sign of the Ram. Because you're ruled by Mars, the planet named after the Roman god of war, you're spirited, straightforward, courageous, and enterprising. Yours is the sign of new beginnings.

The glyph (written symbol) of Aries appears in Figure 4-2. It signifies the head of the ram, a gushing fountain of energy, or the eyebrows and nose of a human being - a part of the face that's well-defined and graceful on a typical Aries.

Figure 4-2:
The symbol of Aries the Ram.

The sunny side

Enthusiastic, inspiring, and exhilarating, Aries is a force of nature like no other. Blessed with boundless energy and a bold, appealing personality, you have a zest for life that other signs can only envy. You're intrepid, passionate, and courageous - a firebrand, glowing and full of flash. Unconventional and joyously individualistic, you display a robust sense of who you are and an eagerness to follow your own intuition. You have a sense of purpose and a distinct personal style, and you refuse to let others define you. Often a creature of extremes, you react quickly and make instantaneous decisions. You believe in action and proudly stand up for what you know is right, even if it conflicts with commonly held notions. Neither a joiner nor a follower, you're a natural-born leader because you have a clear, decisive mind combined with total faith in your own reactions and plans.

At your audacious best, you're untiring, ardent, and thoroughly original. You're an activist on your own behalf, and you have initiative. A risk-taker with a pioneering spirit, you have a deep need to prove yourself. So when a fresh idea or a groundbreaking mission captures your imagination, you rush in. Later on, if your interest falters or your hopes don't pan out, you move on, undaunted. Life is too short to waste on anything that fails to please you.

The sorry side

Like a child, you can be self-centered, inconsiderate, and intent on doing things your way. Your determination is often unbreakable. When you really want something, you can be combative, brash, and even ruthless in your efforts to get it. You're willing to take risks and you do a lot of rule breaking, a trait that doesn't always work to your benefit. Rather than bending to someone else's requirements, you prefer to simply obey your instincts. At times you exhibit a woeful lack of foresight, and you often lack diligence. Although your enthusiasms are many, you easily become restless and your initial interest soon fizzles. Your impatience is legendary. For that reason, you find greater satisfaction with short-term ventures than with lengthy ones.

Emotionally, you find it difficult to imagine how other people feel. You can strike people as insensitive, egocentric, and self-absorbed. And there's no avoiding the fact that you have a white-hot temper: It comes and goes in a flash, but when it appears, you're terrifying. You hold strong opinions, and you're not afraid to express them, no matter how impolitic (or impolite) they may be. You figure it this way: If expressing your views causes others discomfort, let them nurse their fragile sensibilities on their own. You have too much to do to sit around obsessing over hurt feelings, criticism, or the sorrows and injustices of the past.

Relationships
Anyone who knows you - from friends and family to the most casual of acquaintances - knows where you stand. Outspoken and direct, you don't hesitate to express yourself, and you have little patience for those who can't take the heat. Besides, you enjoy your own company entirely too much to tolerate anyone who requires coddling. Self-sufficient and independent, you prefer your friends to be as on-the-move as you are, and you can't bear whining. As for love, you're an exciting person to be around, overflowing with enthusiasm and joie de vivre. Although you suffer from jealousy and can be competitive, you enjoy the chase - not that you let it drag on for too long. You're not a game player. You know what you like, and when you find it, you go for it. And did I mention that you're sexually ravenous?

At the same time, you're an idealist who's fully prepared to hold out for the real thing. You demand equality, and if you don't get it, you make your displeasure clear. With Mars, the warrior planet, as your ruler, you seldom shy away from confrontation. And even though you don't mean to be contentious, at times you can't help yourself. You're not one to suppress your feelings or to spend endless hours delving into the intricacies of your own - or anyone else's - psyche. You'd rather face the issues head-on. Your combustible, intimidating exterior may mask feelings of inferiority, but most people won't realize that. All they know is that you're a force to be reckoned with.

For information on your relationships with other signs, flip to Chapter 15.

Work
With your executive decision-making ability and general verve, you're a selfstarter and an effective leader who likes to initiate change. Ambitious and competitive, you rise to a challenge. But you're a sprinter, not a long-distance runner. You love the unmistakable thrill that comes at the beginning of an undertaking, when creative momentum is high and the possibilities are wide open. You're delighted to experiment and innovate. But once things have settled into a routine and the endeavor becomes weighted down with procedures, precedents, and supervisors, your excitement wanes. You find it irritating and dispiriting to spend time focusing on details and loose ends or doing standard maintenance tasks. Not surprisingly, quitting too soon is one of your worst - and most frequent - mistakes.

You're happiest working on your own or being the boss, preferably in an enterprise that allows you to be in charge of your own schedule. Physical activity is a definite plus, as is the opportunity to participate in a variety of tasks. You're easily bored, and your need to express yourself is stronger than your need for security. Pie-in-the-sky careers for Aries include being a film director like Francis Ford Coppola, an action star (or motorcyclist) like Steve McQueen, a military leader like General Colin Powell, or a talk show host like David Letterman. Surgery is said to be an Aries profession, as is anything that involves fire (including cooking) and anything with a high risk quotient. Whatever your true vocation, it's not something you choose for money or prestige. Instead, you're drawn to it because it offers you a way to make an impact on the world - and at the same time to express your incomparable, amazing self.

Classic Arians

• Marlon Brando, Booker T. Washington (Moon in Aries)
• Norah Jones, Quentin Tarantino, Robert Downey, Jr. (Moon in Taurus)
• Reba McIntyre, Leonard Nimoy, Harry Houdini (Moon in Gemini)
• Charles Baudelaire, Aretha Franklin, Robert Frost (Moon in Cancer)
• Joseph Campbell, Gloria Steinem (Moon in Leo)
• Emmylou Harris, William Wordsworth (Moon in Virgo)
• Rosie OíDonnell, Maya Angelou (Moon in Libra)
• Mariah Carey, Eric Clapton, Francis Ford Coppola (Moon in Scorpio)
• Thomas Jefferson, Vincent Van Gogh (Moon in Sagittarius)
• Al Gore, Kate Hudson, David Letterman (Moon in Capricorn)
• Johann Sebastian Bach, Steve McQueen, Conan OíBrien (Moon in Aquarius)
• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Sarah Michelle Gellar (Moon in Pisces)

If you work for an Aries, your boss will most likely be assertive, enterprising, and impatient with anyone who can't keep up or who requires a lot of supervision. Your best move is to work independently - and don't take those angry outbursts personally.

Aries: The Basic Facts

• Polarity: Positive
• Favorable Colors: Red and white
• Quality: Cardinal
• Lucky Gem: Diamond
• Element: Fire
• Part of the Body: The head
• Symbol: The Ram
• Metal: Iron
• Ruling Planet: Mars
• Key Phrase: I am Opposite
• Sign: Libra
• Major Traits: Energetic, impetuous

Chapter 4 Fire Signs: Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius

In This Chapter

• Introducing Aries
• Looking at Leo
• Getting to know Sagittarius

The first of the four traditional elements is fire, and you donít need to be an astrologer to guess what it means. Ancient astrologers linked fire with the vital force of creation. (Think of the original fireball: the Big Bang.) This association stands. Fire generates heat in the form of excitement, activity, and desire. People born under these dynamic, extroverted signs are vigorous and volatile, enterprising and courageous. They're also restless and impatient, with a ready supply of creativity and vision. But they have trouble accepting limits - which may be why they're prone to burn out.

In the cycle of the zodiac, every element has its function. Earth offers stability. Air communicates. Water imparts emotion. But only Fire can provide the initial burst of energy - the creative spark that sets the world in motion.

Figure 4-1, which combines the circle of potential with the dot of individuality, represents the Sun. The Sunís placement in the sky at the moment of your birth determines your sign. If you have any doubt about your Sun sign or were born at the beginning or end of a sign, check out Chapter 1.

Figure 4-1:
The symbol of the Sun.

Astrologers allot three signs of the zodiac to each of the four elements. The fire signs, which are known for their energy and drive, include the following:

• Aries the Ram (March 20 to April 18), the sign of cardinal fire. Itís impulsive, daring, and gifted at setting things into motion.
• Leo the Lion (July 23 to August 22), the sign of fixed fire. It's vibrant, confident, and brimming with determination.
• Sagittarius the Archer (November 22 to December 21), the sign of mutable fire. It's independent, adventurous, and spontaneous.

Even though these signs differ in many ways, they share the life-affirming vitality that fire brings. In this chapter, I discuss the fire signs. If you were born under one of them, you're in the right place. Here I present your good traits and your not-so-good traits, as well as information about work and relationships.

Each sign has an element (fire, earth, air, or water), a polarity (positive or negative), and a quality or modality (cardinal, fixed, or mutable). For more on those terms, turn to Chapter 1.

Getting Your Horoscope in a Nanosecond

The easiest way to get an accurate copy of your horoscope is to log on to the Internet, go to one of the sites in the following list, and type in the date, year, time, and place of your birth. Here are three of the best sites to visit:

Astrolabe (www.alabe.com): Astrolabe offers an excellent, free birth chart along with about three pages of interpretation. Feed your birth date into their form, send it off, and seconds later, it comes back to you, complete - and I mean complete. In contrast to other Web sites with seemingly similar offers, Astrolabe supplies not only some basic interpretation but also an image of the actual chart, with the Sun, Moon, and planets placed clearly within the zodiac wheel. Astrolabe also offers other services, for which you have to pay.

Astrodienst (www.astro.com ): You can get a free birth chart (or "portrait") at this absorbing Web site - and lots more, including lengthy daily horoscopes, a report on "love, flirtation, and sex," a relationship chart and analysis, and a six-month forecast based on the changing position - or transits (see Chapter 16) - of the planets. All these freebies are abbreviated versions of longer reports you can buy. I donít have a problem with that. The only missing ingredient here is that your actual chart - the round emblem that suggests a personal mandala - is not shown. You have to construct it yourself. (I show you how in Chapter 3.)

Chaos Astrology (www.chaosastrology.com ): The free birth chart offered at this Web site is longer than most - plus, it includes the actual chart, if you know where to look. The trick is simple: After you feed in your birth information and your astrological profile appears on the screen, click on the sun/moon icon at the top of the page. Lo and behold: Your actual birth chart appears.

What It Takes to Cast Your Chart the Old-Fashioned Way

In the past, before the computer infiltrated every corner of human existence, figuring out the positions of the planets was a challenge. It required patience, hours of free time, a fearless approach to mathematics, and an eagerness to grapple with the kinds of boring details that drive most people nuts.

For instance, you had to look up the longitude and latitude of your birth place, and you had to correct for its distance from the standard time meridian for that location. You had to distinguish between local time and Greenwich mean time, not to mention standard time, daylight saving time, and war time. Then you had to calculate the movement of the planets using, among other tools, a table of proportional logarithms. Most people didnít want to bother.

I always felt differently. I liked staying up late surrounded by numerical tables, volumes of astrological data, pads of yellow paper, and the special horoscope blanks I bought at a metaphysical bookstore. As I calculated each planetary position and house cusp, drew the symbols of the signs and planets onto the chart, and counted up how many planets were in fire signs, in earth signs, and so on, the chart - and the person - slowly grew clear in my mind.

That process takes time, and I don't do it anymore. With a computer, you can get an accurate chart without even thinking about math. Later in this chapter, I tell you how.

Still, the best way to understand astrology is to cast a chart the old-fashioned way. Here's what you would need to calculate it yourself:

• The precise longitude and latitude of your birthplace. You can figure it out from a map or look it up in a book like The American Atlas: U.S. Longitudes and Latitudes, Time Changes and Time Zones, by Thomas G. Shanks (ACS Publications), which includes an international atlas.

• The details about your time of birth. Just because you know the exact moment of your birth doesn't mean that your problems with time are over. You also have to know what time zone you were born in - and this is an area riddled with quicksand.
  
  For instance, Tennessee is divided down the middle, half in one time zone and half in another. Most places in Texas observe central standard time - but El Paso doesn't. And if you were born in Indiana between 1955 and 1965, you're in deep trouble. During those years, the powers-that-be, unable to choose between central and eastern time, decided to carve up the state and assign different regions to each time zone. Each year, they did it in a different way. If you were caught in this civic calamity, you have no choice: Go to a professional astrologer. Or log on to one of the Web sites listed later in this chapter.
  
  Then there's daylight saving time. Until 2007, it ran from late April to late October, but the exact days differ from year to year and from state to state. For example, if you were born in California on October 27, 1963, you were born under daylight saving time. But if your birthday is a year later, on October 27, 1964, you were born under standard time.
  
  And did you know that during World War II, the entire U.S. operated under war time? It began on February 9, 1942, about two months after Pearl Harbor, and ended on September 30, 1945. (It was also in operation in some places during World War I.)
  
  To account for these variations in time, you need a trustworthy source. Again, I recommend The American Atlas: U.S. Longitudes and Latitudes, Time Changes and Time Zones, compiled by Thomas G. Shanks.

• A table of houses. This book-size table tells you what degree of the zodiac is rising at any given moment according to the time and latitude of your birth. It also tells the degrees that appear on the other house cusps. One resource for this information is the Michelsen Book of Tables by Neil F. Michelsen (ACS Publications), which includes two popular types of house division as well as a worksheet for casting a horoscope the old-fashioned way.

• An ephemeris for the year you were born. The Rosetta Stone of astrology, an ephemeris is an almanac that lists the positions of the Sun, Moon, and planets for every day of the year, either for midnight or noon in Greenwich, England (the basis for Greenwich mean time, from which all time zones are determined). So if you were born on the stroke of midnight in Greenwich, you don't have to do a thing to determine the position of your planets. You can read them right out of the book.
  If you were born at any other time or place, you have to make adjustments. Using an ephemeris, a table of houses, and the principles of high school algebra, you can come up with a close approximation of your chart. Should you insist on precision (perhaps because you have a dose of Virgo in your birth chart), you need one more item, which I explain in the following bullet.
  

• A table of proportional logarithms. Using this numerical chart makes your calculations precise. But if going to the mat with a table of logarithms sounds like a fight you won't win, do yourself a favor: Skip the calculations and go directly to the Internet.

Coping with an absence of information

A more significant problem arises when you have no idea what time you were born. I have a beloved friend, one of many children, who never knew her birth time. And then one day, things got rapidly worse. During an astonishing conversation with an older sister, she discovered that no one in her family could vouch with 100 percent certainty for the day of her birth - or even the month. Suddenly she wasn't sure whether she was a Libra (no way) or a Scorpio (yes). This rare situation is an astrologer's worst-case scenario.

More typically, people know the day, month, and year of their birth - but not the time. That's not a tragedy. Even without the time, you can uncover a wealth of information about yourself. However, when you go online to get your horoscope - or even when you do it yourself - you have to adjust for the missing information.

In the absence of anything resembling an accurate birth time, I recommend that you do what professional astrologers do: Pretend that you were born either at noon or at dawn and proceed accordingly. (In Chapter 3, I tell you more about what to do if your birth time is lost in space.)

Dealing with approximate birth times

What if no one thought to look at a clock when you were born? First, keep in mind that an approximate time is better than nothing - much better. If all you know is that you came into this world before breakfast or during the Late Show with David Letterman, that's useful information, even if it's not exact.

If you aren't sure of your birth time, you might consider asking a professional astrologer to rectify your chart. Rectification is a complex process. It involves working backwards from major events in your life (such as marriage, divorce, or the death of a parent) to make an educated guess about your probable birth time. Some astrology software includes rectification modules. Even so, it's wise to proceed with caution: Unless the astrologer has considerable experience, rectification isn't a sure bet.

Gathering the Information You Need

If you're like most people, you won't have any trouble finding your birth information. Here's what you need:

• Your month, day, and year of birth
• The place of your birth
• Your exact birth time - or as close to it as you can get

Without an accurate birth time, you can never know what your Ascendant is (see Chapter 11 for more about Ascendants). You won't have trustworthy house placements for your planets. You may not even know your Moon sign because it changes signs every two or three days. Without an accurate birth time, interpreting your chart correctly will be challenging. And predicting the future will be close to impossible.

Fortunately, finding the exact time is usually easy. But don't be surprised if your mother's memory of what must surely have been the highlight of her entire life turns out to be spotty. Since I havenít done a survey, I have no statistics to bandy about, but I will say this: It's shocking how many parents canít remember when their children were born. They donít know if it was 2:05 or 5:02. One mother even confessed to me that she wasn't sure who was born at 10:06 a.m.: her daughter or herself. That's why I recommend that you corroborate your birth time through the official record - your birth certificate.

To get your birth certificate online, check out the National Center for Health Statistics at www.cdc.gov/nchs and click on the link that says "Help obtaining birth, death, marriage, or divorce certificates."

Chapter 2 - Getting Your Precise Horoscope: The Old Way versus the Easy Way

In This Chapter

• Assembling your birth information
• Creating your chart with piles of paper, tables, and dusty old books
• Surfing the Internet to get your chart
• Probing your psyche and glimpsing the future with astrological software

What could be more fabulously arcane than an astrological chart? Well, lots of things: Alchemical sigils, kabalistic diagrams, magic spells - you name it. But this blog isn't about them. It's about astrology, which only seems strange. That's because an astrological chart, with all its mysteriouslooking symbols, has nothing mystical about it. It's a representation of the real world, and it isn't peculiar at all. An astrological chart is a picture, in streamlined form, of the solar system at the time of your birth. It's that simple.

To visualize the cosmos as it was then, imagine standing on the Earth at the precise moment of your birth. Imagine, too, that you're facing south and looking at a gigantic clock face that has been superimposed on the sky. To your left, in the nine o'clock position, is the eastern horizon. That's your Ascendant. If you were born around dawn, that's also where your Sun is. The twelve o'clock position is high in the sky in front of you. That's where your Sun is if you were a lunchtime delivery. To your right, in the three o'clock position, is the western horizon. If you were born around dusk, your Sun is there. And if you snuck into this world around midnight, when the Sun was illuminating the other side of the planet, your Sun is in the six o'clock spot.

If you know the phase of the Moon at your birth, you can locate it in a similar way. Were you born under a new moon? Then your Moon and Sun are in roughly the same place. Born under a full moon? Then the Sun and Moon are opposite each other - 180° apart. If one is rising, the other is setting.

The point is this: The horoscope is neither a metaphysical construct nor a mystical symbol nor a psychological portrait. It's a map. Your horoscope shows the position of the Sun, Moon, and planets at the moment of your birth. The astrologer's task is to look at that map and figure out its meaning. But first you have to get your hands on the map. In this chapter, I tell you how to do just that.

Taking the house tour

It makes no difference whether you're a fun-loving Leo or a workaholic Capricorn, you still have to deal with relationships, money, health, career, and so on. Those areas come under the authority of the houses, which divide the sky into 12 parts, beginning with the Ascendant, which marks the start of the first house. The meanings of the houses are summarized in Table 1-4.

Table 1-4 Houses and Their Significance

House	Areas of Concern
First house	Your appearance and surface personality
Second house	Money, possessions, values
Third house	Communication, short journeys, brothers and sisters
Fourth house	Home, roots, one parent, circumstances at the end of life
Fifth house	Romance, children, creativity
Sixth house	Work and health
Seventh house	Marriage and other partnerships
Eighth house	Sex, death, regeneration, other peopleís money
Ninth house	Higher education, long journeys, religion, philosophy
Tenth house	Career, status, reputation, the other parent
Eleventh house	Friends and aspirations
Twelfth house	Enemies, seclusion, secrets

Table Tutorial

Just as every birth chart includes all the planets, every horoscope has all 12 houses. The sign on the cusp, or beginning of the house, describes your approach to it. For instance, if the sign of the bull is on the cusp of your house of work, your attitude toward your job is Taurean, making you dependable, productive, and a bit of a plodder, regardless of whether that house is crammed full of planets or empty.

The word cusp is used in two ways in astrology. When people say they were born "on the cusp," they mean that their birthday falls at the end of one sign and the beginning of another. They usually think that they have qualities belonging to both signs. (I discuss this issue in Chapter 3.) When astrologers refer to the cusp of a house, they mean the houseís starting point.

The Ascendant

Have you ever had a friend who was Miss Congeniality - until you got to know her? Did you ever encounter anyone who seemed standoffish and cold at first but warmed up later on? Do you know anyone whose devil-may-care, lighthearted attitude masks a calculating, manipulative mind? And have you ever wondered how you strike other people, especially when they don't know you well? Your horoscope provides the answer. While your Sun sign may not be apparent to people, they definitely notice your Ascendant. It's your image, your facade, your surface personality. Whether it clashes or harmonizes with your Sun sign, it describes the way people see you and the impression that you make. Indeed, some astrologers consider the ruler of the Ascendant - that is, the planet that rules the rising sign - to be the overall ruler of your chart.

No matter what your Sun sign might be, any one of the 12 signs might have been on the eastern horizon when you were born. If you were born around dawn, when the Sun was peeking over the horizon, you already know your rising sign: It's the same as your Sun sign. If you were born at any other time of day, your rising sign and Sun sign differ.

For those people whose Sun signs and rising signs are identical, the surface and the substance are the same. For everyone else, what you see isn't necessarily what you get.

Consider Whoopi Goldberg: She has Aquarius rising, so she appears progressive, sociable, and eccentric - a personality with a lively mind and a detached, observant approach to life. In fact, her Sun is in Scorpio, so beneath her brilliant Aquarian surface, she's intensely emotional, passionate, and secretive - not detached at all.

To determine your rising sign, you need to know the time of your birth. When you have that, turn to Chapter 3, which gives you a rough estimate of your rising sign. Then go to Chapter 11 for an interpretation.

Besides shaping your personality, the Ascendant serves another function: It opens the door to the houses. For more about that subject, read on.

Assessing the Ascendant and the Houses

The planets arenít the only essential components of your chart. The Ascendant or rising sign - the sign that was climbing over the eastern horizon at the moment of your birth - is equally important. It refers to your mask or persona - the face that you show the world. It also marks the start of the 12 houses.

Who Rules? Discovering the Rulers of the Signs

In an ideal world, each planet would work well in each sign. But in fact, some placements are better than others. The sign in which a planet seems to function most effectively is the sign that it is said to rule. Two thousand years ago, when astrologers only had to worry about the Sun, the Moon, and five planets, they assigned the rulerships this way:

• The Sun ruled Leo.
• The Moon ruled Cancer.
• Mercury ruled Gemini and Virgo.
• Venus ruled Taurus and Libra.
• Mars ruled Aries and Scorpio.
• Jupiter ruled Pisces and Sagittarius.
• Saturn ruled Aquarius and Capricorn.

After Uranus was discovered in 1781, followed by Neptune in 1846 and Pluto in 1930, astrologers modified the system. Today, the most commonly accepted planetary rulers are as follows:

• The Sun rules Leo.
• The Moon rules Cancer.
• Mercury rules Gemini and Virgo.
• Venus rules Taurus and Libra.
• Mars rules Aries.
• Jupiter rules Sagittarius.
• Saturn rules Capricorn.
• Uranus rules Aquarius.
• Neptune rules Pisces.
• Pluto rules Scorpio.

In recent years, astronomers have discovered legions of asteroids, moons, and other celestial bodies in our solar system. One of them is Chiron, which was discovered in 1977. Some astrologers believe that Chiron is the ruler of Virgo. Others associate it with Sagittarius. Many donít bother with it at all, and it has yet to be assigned the rulership of a sign.

Considering the Sun, the Moon, and the Planets

The Sun, the Moon, and the planets play individual parts in your horoscope. Their meanings are as follows:

The Sun represents your essential self, will, individuality, vitality, and desire for power. More than any other planet, it represents who you are. It also symbolizes men in general.

The Moon represents your emotions, subconscious, instincts, habits, and memory. It also represents women in general.

Mercury symbolizes your style of communication, your reasoning ability, and the way you think.

Venus represents those parts of your life that are concerned with love, attraction, beauty, possessions, and the arts.

Mars is the planet of desire and aggression. It represents your physical energy, combativeness, enterprise, and courage.

Jupiter is the planet of expansion and good fortune. It represents growth, prosperity, abundance, wisdom, generosity, and the higher mind. Jupiterís position in a horoscope tells you where youíre lucky.

Saturn represents limitation, restriction, caution, organization, endurance, and discipline. It tells you where you have to face your fears ó and also where youíre ambitious.

Chiron, a dwarf planet discovered in 1977, represents past hurt and future healing. Astrologers, not all of whom use Chiron, often associate it with holistic medicine.

Uranus represents originality, independence, rebelliousness, inventiveness, insight, and everything unexpected.

Neptune represents spirituality, dreams, psychic ability, intuition, disintegration, compassion, self-sacrifice, deception, and illusion.

Pluto represents elimination, destruction, regeneration, renewal, and transformation.

One way to simplify all this is to assign a single word - or, as astrologers prefer to say, keyword - to each planet. These keywords, which summarize each planetís meaning, appear in Table 1-3.

Table 1-3 Keywords for the Planets

Planet	Keyword
Sun	Self
Moon	Emotion
Mercury	Communication
Venus	Love
Mars	Action
Jupiter	Expansion
Saturn	Restriction
Chiron	Chiron
Uranus	Revolution
Neptune	Imagination
Pluto	Transformation

Table Tutorial

Planets Symbol

Putting the zodiac back together

Once you know the order of the signs, it's easy to assign them to their correct polarity, modality, and element because those classifications always occur in sequence. (You can clearly see that sequence in Table 1-2.) Those classifications convey a great deal of information. If all you know is the polarity, modality, and element of each sign, you know a lot.

Table 1-2 The Qualities of the Signs

Sign	Polarity	Modality	Element
Aries	Positive	Cardinal	Fire
Taurus	Negative	Fixed	Earth
Gemini	Positive	Mutable	Air
Cancer	Negative	Cardinal	Water
Leo	Positive	Fixed	Fire
Virgo	Negative	Mutable	Earth
Libra	Positive	Cardinal	Air
Scorpio	Negative	Fixed	Water
Sagittarius	Positive	Mutable	Fire
Capricorn	Negative	Cardinal	Earth
Aquarius	Positive	Fixed	Air
Pisces	Negative	Mutable	Water

Table Tutorial

For example, take Cancer the Crab. It's the sign of negative cardinal water. This tells you that Crabs tend to be internal and receptive (negative), with a heavy dose of initiative (cardinal), and strong emotional awareness (water).

Or consider Leo, which lives next door to Cancer but boasts a very different personality (as is always the case with adjacent signs). Leo is the sign of positive fixed fire. This means that its natives tend to be outgoing (positive), determined (fixed), and full of flash (fire).

The polarity, modality, and element provide a rudimentary sense of what each sign is about. For a detailed description of the signs, turn to Part II.

Elements: Dividing the zodiac by four

Describing the temperament of each sign of the zodiac by assigning it to one of the four ancient elements is probably the most famous method of classification. The four elements are fire, earth, air, and water:

• Fire brings vitality, excitement, and intensity. The fire signs are Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius.
• Earth gives stability, common sense, and the ability to get things done. The earth signs are Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn.
• Air enlivens the intellect and enhances sociability. The air signs are Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius.
• Water strengthens the emotions and the intuition. The water signs are Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces.

Modality: Dividing the zodiac by three

The three modalities describe different forms of expression, as follows:

Cardinal signs are enterprising. They initiate change and make things happen. The cardinal signs are Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn.

Fixed signs consolidate and preserve change. They're focused and determined. The fixed signs are Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius.

Mutable signs are flexible and versatile. They adapt and adjust. The mutable signs are Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces.

Within the cycle of the zodiac, the three modalities occur in sequence. Cardinal energy initiates change, fixed energy digs its heels in and maintains the status quo, and mutable energy adapts to shifting circumstances.

Polarity: Dividing the zodiac by two

You can figure out the polarity of each sign by dividing the zodiac in half. Beginning with Aries, six positive or masculine signs alternate with six negative or feminine signs. The sexist language, I regret to say, is traditional. Many astrologers use the terms yin and yang instead. Call them what you will, the meanings are as follows:

• Positive (yang) signs are more extroverted, objective, and assertive.
• Negative (yin) signs are more introverted, subjective, and receptive.

The zodiac can also be divided into pairs of opposing signs. The opposite signs are: Aries and Libra; Taurus and Scorpio; Gemini and Sagittarius; Cancer and Capricorn; Leo and Aquarius; and Virgo and Pisces.