The state of the solar system at the time of your birth points to self-similar (fractal) qualities within you. But of all the planets, the "lights" - the Sun and Moon - are thought to indicate the main polarity of your being. In psychology, this has been articulated in the concept of complementarity between the conscious and unconscious contents of the mind. The Sun and Moon act as positive and negative poles - an intentional, directing element (Sun), and a suggestible, receptive one (Moon). In a beneficial relationship, the emotional conditioning of the Moon is given a purposive and positive expression by the astrological Sun. This has been called 'intentional living'. Wherever we allow our consciousness (attention) to rest, that we vitalize.

There is only one center to our solar system, and there is only one center to your psyche. The Sun is the great central powerhouse which illuminates us and shows us where we can get the most from life by radiating all that our sun represents. In Jyotish, the astrology of the Hindus, the Sun is known as 'atma karaka', or soul indicator, signifying a person's confidence, authority and power - the ego center of the horoscope. The Sun is our central identity and 'true self', in that it is toward this more than anything that we should be moving and developing. Thus, it represents that which we wish to become and those we look up to. It is also our essence, our bliss, and that which we do for the sheer fun of it. The Sun is creativity, original flair, celebration and glory - the quality of output we tend to expect from heros and celebrities. But we are each capable of giving out more than we do - and I don't mean money. The Sun is about having a purpose large enough to animate the whole of your life and going about it with a tone of appreciation and joie de vivre. Your Sun shows how and where you can shine.

You are able to find yourself best in others and in relationships. Rather than going it alone, this is the sign of equalibrium - the delicately-weighted strategic response. Libran energy expresses harmony and fairplay. You appreciate the value of compromise and would make an excellent mediator. Social exchange, relating, sharing and interacting with others is important, as is any other kind of partnership activity - dialog, duets and even duels. 'We' consciousness is the glue that holds it all in place, for this is the sign of 'what belongs together'; everything done in proportion with attention to balance and beauty. Libra energy is always responsive and conciliating, assuming the appropriate reaction or response to any question or statement. What is sometimes seen as 'two-faced' behavior is Libra's facility to respond to each in kind, giving both sides equal consideration. This is certainly the social sign par excellence; the sign of the diplomat. Impersonal and impartial, Libra doles out only what is demanded - nothing overdone, but nothing neglected.

Magnificent willpower. Comes on strong and tends to intimidate. Presence and concentration are very forceful. Likes to get down to bare essentials right off. Not afraid of a good confrontation. This intensity puts self and others through a lot of changes. Would be great at research or any work that requires digging, searching, investigating, and getting beneath the surface. Men especially are drawn to or somehow involved in 'underground' activities. Sex drive is powerful and needs outlet.

Efficiency of action. The ego is asserted in a well-balanced way and enjoys adventurous pursuits. Physical outlets like athletics and exercise are important and should be made lifelong activities. Another form this aspect could take is training or coaching others. There is a natural ability toward dramatic performance. Confident and decisive with good initiative, there are plenty of opportunities for productive self-expression.

Larger than life. Expects the best, is open, above-board and honest. Discovery. Wants to see, experience and gain knowledge of everything life has to offer, especially foreign things or things that are 'out of the ordinary'. 'Lucky' by nature, the general outlook on life is one of optimism and enthusiasm. Makes a natural philosopher and counselor. Confident and vibrant, this aspect expands ego drives and broadens experience.

Mentally active. Intellectual expression comes easily, but is often restless and lacking patience because the mind operates so quickly. Ablility to excel in speaking, writing and all types of communication, but can lack objectivity. Witty and humorous with a dramatic mind, will benefit by being in a teaching or lecturing occupation. Mind wants to capture as much new information as possible, so travel when you can.

A natural ability to grasp visionary matters. Much of the self-image is wrapped up in the ability to work with imagery, dreams and the imagination. Naturally sensitive, the consciousness is open and receptive to the subtle pulses of life. Drawn to music, poetry and the so-called 'metaphysical'. There is an innate 'self-less-ness' and devotion to the promotion of high ideals.

Gentle charm and personal magnetism. There is a natural sense of discrimination and beauty which excels in music, drama, dance or any artistic profession. There is a love of making connections which is welcomed in social scenes of all kinds and gives easy popularity. Fosters aesthetic leanings with an appreciation of cultural matters. Sensual and refined with a tendency to be easy-going and accommodating.

The astrological Moon symbolises memory, memes and conditioning - the habitual, instinctive, unconscious side of our nature, and therefore the most predictible. Our interface with the environment - how we react to it - is best indicated by the Moon's position and the planets it aspects. Because it represents our upbringing and emotional background, the Moon denotes our sense of belonging and well-being (or not) and what we need in order to feel comfortable and content. But all too often the tendency is for the Moon to reflect back the frayed impressions of old hurts and vendettas, thereby wasting precious energy on painful and unproductive distractions of the past. Clearly what is needed is a more aspiring attitude; one in which we are continually banging our cup and demanding that our needs be satisfied! What is your special hunger? What kind of stimulation do you need in order to feel good about yourself? True gratification can be had only by feeding your Moon. The Feast of the Present is spread out around you!

You are gregarious, even to the point of bringing out the performer in others. You somehow always manage to find a creative environment or the creative in any environment. Great with kids, you are yourself a big kid at heart. Emotional warmth and self-expression come naturally, but you must guard against the tendency to attention-seeking behaviour. You are happiest in situations which allow you to exercise your playfulness and originality.

Lives in the feelings. Inspiring and magnificently compassionate. Strong idealization of the family, past and traditional matters. Most imaginative when it comes to spirituality and psychology. Entrancing to others with an ability to draw them into a world of imagination and dreams. A high floater and full-blown dreamer, complete with built-in psychic abilities and probably given to visions.

Personal charm and popularity. A natural talent in and appreciation of aesthetics. Works easily with music and the arts. A fine appreciation of female energy; excellent raport with women. Affectionate and caring when it comes to relationships, can charm a prospective mate with ease. Attracts material benefits and prosperity.

The planets of astrology are not just giant balls of rock and gas, but fractal reflections of the different facets of reality - whole self-consistent categories of meaning. They reveal tendencies which are in a continual state of 'becoming'. But each individual is responsible for developing his or her attributes and actively integrating the planets' detailed messages. Having had the broad qualities pointed out, you are free to work with or against the cosmic current. But you will only benefit from the universal self-organising process by intentionally and planfully improving on those features as depicted in your birth chart. We only get where we're going by moving in the right direction. Destiny is a matter of Destination.

Mercury is the articulate messenger - Hermes - master of the networks, change and complexity. He represents mentality: words, thoughts, ideas, communications. But more generally, this is the planet of connections - everything that links and conveys - synchronicity - the magical crossroads at which the observer stands to see the 'similarity of meaning' in the converging strands of various causes and effects. This is the meeting place of mind and matter, where logic, wit and reason are brought into play. The power of thought. The power of words. The ancestor of every action is a thought, and how we say something is often more important than what we say. Words trigger attitudes and set up resonances of their own, continuing to do their work even when the attention is elsewhere. Guided by your Mercury, you begin to construct a bridge between yourself and the world, bringing together all the unique circumstances needed to trigger results that none of them could have produced on their own. Mercury shows how you can 'hijack' people, places and situations to your best advantage - the way you can go about getting your way.

Yours is a reflective mind, a mirror for others. You are equality-minded and easy to talk with - a great mediator or negotiator. You find it easy to accept the ideas and thoughts of others and to hear them out. You are good at relations (politics, diplomacy, sales), not to mention considerate, helpful, courteous and calm.

You have the mind of a lawyer, always able to size up a problem and come up with a solution. Using your mind to negotiate obstacles and handle dilemmas (your own or those of others), is a great talent. You have an innate ability to guide and lead others through the hurdles and hassles of life. You could be very much in demand as a counselor. You are a problem-solver.

Anyone who tries to get you to play with words is in for a big surprise. Your mind cuts right through all the window dressing and gets right down to the quick. Before anyone knows it, you have the heart of the matter out front for everyone to see. You would make a great investigator, either in scientific research or undercover work. It makes no difference. Your ability to get to the point is all but phenomenal. You can talk and put into words areas of the psychological that others wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole.

You are expert at working with words that communicate mystical and mythological ideas. You are at home in these realms and can always manage to bring other-worldly ideas into the practical realms. You would make an excellent teacher of philosophy or religion, for you can't help but communicate these subjects and enchant all who come to know you. Your understanding of the unity behind appearances, along with the ability to put these thoughts into words, is a rare and valuable gift. You would make a good director, for you like working with mental images.

Venus is harmony. She symbolises our relationship with all that we meet in the world. When we appraise or appreciate something, whether that be another person or a possession, this is Venus - the sense of love or appreciation we feel. Venus is reciprocity, interaction with others, compromise, reconciliation and balance. She is also our need for approval, and how we seek it - 'we' consciousness and union. This ability to get-it-together is also tested by our talent (or lack of) for developing a sense of wealth and affluence. Venus is what we love, feel comfortable with and what appeals to us. And she has much to do with desires, luxuries and their enjoyment. She is also about making oneself enjoyable. Thus her energy is what has been called the 'courtier spirit', which means being agreeable and smoothing the path. In many ways she shows us how we can get the most, both relationship-wise and financially, out of life. As the planet of balance and resources, Venus speaks to us about the ways one influences the other; for as any successful businessperson will tell you, you must be willing to spend money in order to make it. This is the lifeblood of commerce - there must be an out-going as well as an in-coming flow of energy. Good relationships require give-and-take, as do all successful enterprises.

Not prudish, you insist on freedom of expression in all things. You love great ideas and travel. This makes you well-suited to international business and anything having to do with acquiring a broader understanding - higher education and the like. An idealist of the first degree, you are honest and frank, preferring the truth to any brand of flattery. Risky ventures will appeal.

You could be an excellent teacher in areas requiring discipline and organization. You value order and place a high premium on hard work and effort. You like to get down to the bare bones, to what is essential. Whatever is most practical is best, and you appreciate things that are durable and long-lasting. You love truth, philosophy, law, and the like.

Mars is the planet of motivation and drive. It is the self-starting impetus, initiative and energy we need to get moving. When we search for the meaning of something, life or whatever, it is Mars that urges us on and keeps us searching. Mars also drives us against things too, as when it sends us into war and combat. Mars looks for the challenge, takes charge and pushes forward with a pioneering spirit. Mars is purposeful, direct and courageous; where our passion is, there we find the planet Mars. Thus it also has to do with ardor and impulses, and often signifies the sex-drive, especially in a man's chart. Martian energy enjoys becoming involved in the thrust of life - acting promptly on an urge and, within that conviction, creating more trust in its own actions. This is a circular process: The more we trust and act, the more we receive impulses that can be trusted.

You are always center-stage and entertaining others. You have an almost fierce sense of pride and are very dramatic and expressive, sometimes forceful. You are a natural at sports, games, anything that "gets it out." Very emotional, you have strong likes and dislikes. You are good with kids, animals -- a teacher or coach. You act it out.

You are probably hard to control and very unpredictable. Your drive for independence is obvious, and it is clear that the common and the traditional are not for you. Anything else but that! You pursue alternate or nonconformist solutions to life with great energy. Your temper is hot and sharp and tends to snap out like a lightning bolt. You are aggressive in the pursuit of gaining insight into all that is new, different, and out of the ordinary. Electronics, computers, and communications could be a big part of your life.

You are responsible to the extreme, always taking on obligations and pushing yourself to the limit. You pursue your obligations with much emotion and obvious enthusiasm. You are spartan when it comes to your needs and surroundings. Small and less are beautiful for you. If anything, you try too hard and tend to force things. Others may find your approach too severe. You can be too sober and frugal.

You enjoy working with whatever is psychological -- the hidden, vulnerable, sensitive areas of the mind and self. You can handle material that is sensitive or taboo without batting an eye. This interest in all that is psychological makes you an excellent teacher in the field. You have a natural grasp for the political, for handling the public, and you know how to get your way. Your drive in these areas amounts to a passion, and those around you may feel that you are often too intense. Power struggles are somewhat routine for you.

When it comes to an astrology of success and empowerment, some planets are more important than others simply because of their nature. As the planet of outreach and exploration, Jupiter plays a very important role here. The Hindu word for Jupiter is 'Guru' (Teacher), and Jupiter is about having an outlook or belief system - something we can identify with or look forward to. It shows how we search for meaning in our lives, and therefore has much to tell us about our 'ideal' vocation. Jupiter is the guiding philosophy which provides us with our sense of direction and shows us how to approach life's problems. Jupiter is 'conscience', ethics, as well as our opinions and how we form them. It represents our speculations about the world and can tell us much about the process of self-discovery. As the 'lord of opportunity', prosperity, affluence, and all the benefits we earn through our outgoing-ness and out-giving to others, Jupiter's position in your chart is instrumental in determining your capacity for optimism and attracting luck. To enhance Jupiter's benefit in your life, follow the indications of his placement in your chart. In general, by adopting a spread of effort rather than a concentration - by accepting Life's invitations and maximising what they have to offer - by saying 'yes' to the exotic and unfamiliar - we deliberately extend our range of contacts and interests whereby luck can reach us. There is an organic connection between this attitude and the arrival of the good things in life. A note of warning though, you can have too much of a good thing.

You could enjoy a career working with people as a go-between, negotiator, or mediator, for you can be all things to all people - a mirror. You are not interested in what runs deep, but prefer to control what goes on at the surface. You are a natural diplomat, and luck is drawn into your life by your natural ability to give counter-support and restoring equalibrium.

A career in psychology, areas of the mind and self that are vulnerable and sensitive, is indicated. You not only like change and transforming experiences, you pursue them for their own sake. You head straight for whatever challenges your sense of identity and puts you through changes. This life path could also carry you into subjects like reincarnation, psychic experiences, and all that is occult or hidden from common view. You plunge right in, dig through the whole mess, and leave not a secret unturned. Yours is a career deep in change, transformation, and metamorphosis.

You would do well in a career in music, poetry, psychology, philosophy -- the realms of the imagination. You work well in these areas and can help or teach others by sharing your understanding. You can serve as a guide to the nether worlds of the mind and psyche -- religions, mysticism, and so on. Spiritual problems and questions are easy, for you always grasp the unity behind what appears separate.

Saturn is the prince of the material world - the planet of materialisation and incarnation, self-containment and personal distinction. Saturn rules the limitations of the world we live in and so indicates where we are bound to learn self-discipline and duty - whether we like it or not! It is the boundaries around us that make identity possible. As time passes, you slowly but surely crystallise a personal identity, distinct and unique from the others around you, by excluding whatever does not seem compatible with your purpose. Each new day adds to this evolutionary sense of 'I', with the object being an increased sense of responsibility. Saturn is said to be the hard taskmaster, the planet that keeps us from getting carried away in one direction or another. And although it seems to limit and undermine, it also defines and clarifies. For it is the process of sedimentation - building layer upon layer with structure and control - whereby we see our ambitions realised. Nothing worthwhile can be accomplished without determination, concentration, persistence, commitment and patience.

You have difficulty with relationships and are very idealistic when it comes to friends. You are inflexible, seldom compromise, and find it hard to give in where other people are involved. You need to develop diplomacy and patience. Learn to give (as in "give in") rather than oppose. Be flexible.

You find it difficult to be spontaneous, to get away from routine and do something different. Others see in you a creature of routine. Travel may also be hard for you. It is not easy for you to change or to accept changes. When you do enact a change, it is always at the deepest or core level and affects everything else in your life. Once a change is made, it at once becomes a part of you, solid and immovable. Those near you may feel that you inhibit the proverbial "life of the party." Code, computer programming, and the like should interest you.

To live a full and satisfying life, you must be vividly yourself. Many of us are afraid to be different, and the pressure to conform can be stifling. But to live creatively is to find your own way, even if this means going against the grain. This urge to free-will and self-authorisation is Uranus, the planet of fierce independence. Surprise can be stimulating - the jab that gets you out of the rut. And if you want to ride the wave of chaos instead of being swallowed by it - if you want to liberate yourself from the disruptions and shocks around you - you must voluntarily keep out of the groove. Realise that change is the only constant phenomenon. In randomness is all potential. Disorder increases possibilties. Chance! Uranus is the reverse of the status quo and always unconventional and heretical: If life is accidental, we are free to give it any point we like. Become Yourself!

You are innovative in sexual matters (anything taboo) and have insights into what makes our darker side tick. All things mystical and occult hold your interest. Drugs too. You have new thoughts on desires and possessions. You enjoy sex and respect cravings of all kinds.

Neptune is the desire and ablility to transcend normal consciousness and everyday waking life - to dream the impossible dream. This 'divine discontent' can be the cause of much mischief in itself, for to pursue the Ideal is often to avoid the reality of how things are. But, when it comes to many of the apparently insolvable problems, the Neptunian approach is often the most sensible and practical: Rise above it and get over it! The healthy tendencies of Neptune lie in its ability to see the cosmic humor in almost anything; to laugh at life's absurdities. And sometimes laughter is the only genuine response - the last great act of defiance! This is the art of 'sitting loose to life', which means developing a less resisting, more surrendered attitude in which we expect the best of all unfulfilled possibilities and potentials - and never stop dreaming!

Idealism is an innate talent, and you are in love with grand gestures and long thoughts. Religion, politics and philosophy are natural interest. The world traveler, you enjoy fair, just, frank and broad-minded persons. You are gregarious and sports-minded. You dare to dream big. You like new philosophies and long novels.

You work with real imagination and understanding in areas of the mind that are the most personal or private -- depth psychology. You are like a midwife of the spirit, assisting at the birth of each individual going through a spiritual or re-birth process. You accept the natural process of birth, spiritual and physical, and have dedicated yourself to helping it along. You would make a great teacher in these areas.

Pluto is the planet of profound change, starting deep within you and moving toward the surface, often touching upon the most sensitive areas. It's about waking up to the 'hidden things', and doing so by reaching an intensity of awareness whereby, once touched, you have no choice but to change and grow. Pluto is the process of becoming fully conscious of (revealing) what has been happening all around you, even though you may not have been aware of it. Like sex and death - you get to a certain stage in your development and suddenly you realise what's going on. Pluto is first-hand sensitive experiences and times of complete identification with a person, feeling or idea. This is very intense stuff, and to touch upon this material is to go through permanent change and transformation - inner alchemy.

Change and inner growth tend to come through relationships, both friends and lovers. Marriage or union (yoga) will be very intense and not at all superficial. You get to the heart of a relationship each and every time.

Astrologers agree that astrology is first of all the study of the angular relationships between the planets themselves. But this planetary framework is seen to shift and modify itself as the planets slowly move across the backdrop of the signs, the so-called 'fixed stars' which make up the zodiac. As the earth turns daily on its axis, the planets and signs appear to move across our field of vision through what astrologers have termed 'houses'. The sun rises at dawn and can be seen on the eastern horizon, or first house cusp, or ascendant. It reaches 'midheaven' at noon, and sinks below the western horizon at the descendant.

Like the twelve signs of the zodiac, the twelve houses of the horoscope can be viewed as stages in a complete cycle: From the initial thrust of Aries and the first house, to the maximum entropy symbolised in Pisces and the 12th house. They provide clues as to which areas of your life can be given special attention and used depending on the signs and planets residing there. Here is an analysis of the house activity in your chart based on sign and planet emphasis. As you read along, keep in mind that each house represents a department of life, and the sign falling on each house cusp indicates the mode of action applied to the affairs of that house. In other words, the sign on each house cusp, along with any planet(s) contained therein, shows how one deals with the conditions of that house.

The first house, also called the ascendant or rising sign, is a dharma house and connected with motivation and our approach to life. It also has to do with how we come across to others, thus our appearance and how we make a first impression. The ascendant is the essential stuff that bubbles up in us spontaneously - what is obvious to others as our trademark look or approach. The first house shows our ability to be recognised, how we make a directed effort, and how we exert our will. Cultivate the strategies of this part of your chart to move forward in life.

Aries is the sign of pioneers, leaders and 'firsts'. It is impulsive, assertive and spontaneous. It tends to act first, only thinking about what it may have done later. Rushing in where others fear to tread, Aries energy is attention-getting and always provokes a response from the surroundings and from others. It takes decisive action and loves self-reliance.

The second house is connected with matters of wealth; how we respond to, enjoy and get in harmony with our surroundings. This is how we hold or acquire things (possessions, material goods, money, and other resources), and how we gain material support and sustenance. The second house refers to how we secure ourselves, how we make a firm foundation, as well as the kind of response we get from life and those around us. Therefore it has much to say about our material rewards.

Taurus is about drawing on the bounty of the earth, and seeking material security and physical safety there. It is the on-going, enduring, unchanging and preserving element. Hightened sensory input is also important, for it is the mission of this sign to not only find a sense of place within the material realm, but to enjoy it to the fullest, becoming physically aware of, and bonding with the environment.

The third house shows how we make connections and communicate with the world. This is where we draw parallels, make comparisons, and sort through it all. A very mental house, it is concerned with finding, gathering, all manner of questioning, articulation and conversation. In short, it symbolises the functions of the rational mind - linking observations and ideas, and using them to our advantage.

Gemini is concerned with connections, communication and logic -- voice, thoughts, writing, and rational mental processes in general. It is also concerned with making comparisons, 'twins' and duplications of all kinds. Gemini is the communicator, the gossip of the zodiac, the collector of trivia. Gemini energy is unattached, independent, very inquisitive and changable.

The fourth house is a very emotional house, concerned with matters of comfort and security. Here is how we create the right conditions, the matrix or womb, in which our desires can flourish; the climate necessary for things to grow. It's about receptivity, nurturing and all the self-protective measures we take to ensure a secure base of operations. This is why the fourth house is related to the mothers, all 'mothering' functions, domestic issues and feeling 'at home'.

Cancer is the mother of the zodiac, always making a home, protecting and providing a foundation for others. A sensitive sign where feelings and real experience count more than cold logic, it doesn't get any more physical and emotional than this. Cancer energy is always nurturing, sensitive, tender and moody. It feeds on emotional comforts, and often has a strong attachment to the past and ancestry.

The fifth house, another dharma or 'life purpose' house, has to do with creativity and warm out-going self-expression. Here is where we find our originality and flair, enthusiasm, and even pride in ourselves, building confidence and self-esteem. This is the life area of personal sovereignty, where we begin to recognise and appreciate our own dynamic and playful nature. All forms of creative expression (including love affairs and offspring) are connected with this house.

Leo energy is expressive, vital and exuberant. Often very artistic, and always theatrical and dramatic, this is the sign of creativity and the arts. Warm and big-hearted, Leo lives in full appreciation and celebration of the finer elements of life, bringing a dynamism and enthusiasm to everything it touches. This is the fearless 'becoming' stage, where things are done for their own sake, playfully and with pleasure.

You are at your most expressive when urged on by a group or in an environment that you feel is supportive. You may enjoy group sports or working with children or animals. Creativity and its expression are very important in your life.

You are driven to excel in any form of physical and creative expression--sports, theatrics, arts and crafts, whatever. This urge to express yourself, to speak out and be heard, propels you into many an interesting situation.

The sixth house is the house of physical efficiency. Here we separate the wheat from the chaff; get a sense for what is useful, what is not, and make the best of it. This is the life stage of 'apprenticeship', where we make a connection between mind and matter, adapt ourselves to a situation and then seek to improve upon it. Hence the connection of the sixth house with routine; 'practice makes perfect'. The sixth house shows how well we handle the details of life - our ability to solve problems and get our way.

Virgo energy is analytical and precise, always separating out what is worthwhile and worth supporting from that which is outmoded and of no further use. A mental earth sign, here the mind takes control over matter. This is the sign of 'ways and means', implementation, instrumentation, physical effectiveness and efficiency. Virgo energy is always facilitating, often caring more for others than for itself.

Your critical faculties are very keen, and once you turn your analytical light on, you tend to be relentless in your appraisal. This could make working with others difficult because they find you too scrutinizing. But they also know they can rely on you to carry the heaviest load.

The seventh house, the descendant - opposite of the ascendant - is connected with partnerships, relationships and 'significant others'. Here is where we learn to strike a balance - the art of give and take. All that carries us beyond our personal self (and into an awareness of contradictory or complementary points of view) is symbolised by the seventh house. This is where we respond to the personal needs of others. Therefore marriage and union (yoga) are indicated by this house, as well as one's ability to respond to a marriage partner.

Libra energy is always responsive and conciliating, assuming the appropriate reaction or delicately-weighted strategic response to any question or statement. What is sometimes seen as two-faced is only Libra's facility at responding to each in kind, giving both sides equal consideration. This is certainly the social sign, par excellence. Impersonal and impartial, this sign doles out only what is demanded - nothing overdone, but nothing neglected.

You love the social life and relationships play a major role in your makeup. Close bonds and partnership activity are very important to you. You are at your creative best when you can feel a sense of 'togetherness' with another.

You love to communicate and discuss ideas with other people. Your ideas are always fair and impartial, especially when it comes to other people, the social scene. You are at your mental best when you are bouncing ideas off others.

Your life path involves very close relationships with others. This could be through a marriage or another form of yoga (union). Making the two one, joining together what is separate, is the key to your career.

Change and inner growth tend to come through your relationships with both friends and lovers. Marriage, union (yoga) will be very intense and not at all superficial. You get to the heart of a relationship each and every time.

The eighth house is the house of first-hand transformative experiences and situations - those areas of life that we may not care to face, but we must face sooner or later... the so-called 'inevitables' of life, such as death and taxes. The eighth is also concerned with catharsis; the getting rid of excess parts of ourselves that we no longer need. This house covers initiations of all kinds, as well as activities where we find ourselves transformed toward a more integral position. Thus it also covers any jointly held resources, their problems and their benefits.

Scorpio is intense, passionate, and very personal. It rushes past superficialities and right to the heart of any matter. A loyal friend but a fanatic foe, this sign does well in politics and all areas where someone who dares is rewarded. Associated with sexual energy, Scorpio loves to get involved, going down deeper, coming up dirtier, and laying bare anything that lies hidden there.

You don't care much for the superficial. You appreciate getting past the surface and down to the heart--the bare bones of the matter. This could make you a very shrewd and discriminating business person. You value passion in a relationship.

Lightning fast when it comes to the business deal, you seem to have direct insight into what is worthwhile and worthless in a situation. You have new and unconventional ways to cut through the red tape and get at what is important.

The ninth house shows where we are willing to go beyond our everyday experience in search of meaning. Traditionally the house of 'long journeys', the ninth house is where we take journeys both of the body and the mind. Philosophy, beliefs, speculation, opinions and how we form them all belong to this house. Any time we reach out, explore new territory, or align our activities with something bigger, we are operating in the realm of the ninth house. Along with Jupiter's position, here is where we can attract luck by keeping open and receptive to opportunities.

Sagittarius is nothing if not direct, candid, and to the point, for this sign is always concerned with the absolute truth of the subject at hand. Associated with philosophy, outreach and all things boundless, Sagittarian energy is always welcome in politics as well as social and community endeavors where its basic fairness and expansiveness is helpful.

Your dreams and ideals rest in whatever is pure and true. Philosophy and religion are your escape and refuge from the mundane world. An almost mystical imagination provides you with visions into the world as a community -- a sense of unity.

The tenth house, commonly called the midheaven, is the house of success and glory, practical vision and achieving a public distinction. Therefore one's reputation and career are often connected with this house. The sign on the tenth house cusp, as well as any planets located therein, show how we can strive to be a benefit to - as well as how we can benefit from - society. The tenth house is about having a goal in life and the self-determination to reach it. Here is how we can 'live our calling' and become self-piloting individuals.

Capricorn is the business head of the zodiac, for it is the very opposite of the emotional Cancer. Given to clear ambition and practical insight and vision, this sign always takes a distanced perspective and a cool appraisal. Deliberate and painstaking, sometimes to the point of austerity, Capricorn loves work and the hard-earned results. Status and material reward are very important.

The eleventh house is where we put our visions and dreams to work for others. The most future-oriented of the houses, the eleventh shows our hopes and dreams, and the opportunities we may have to reach them; how we can turn our dreams into reality. Therefore this house has always been connected with altruistic and humanitarian goals, as well as having the self-authorisation to set them in motion. Inventive and unusual, eleventh house activities often break from conformity, establishing new and unprecedented states of being.

Aquarius, the sign of humanitarian goals and altruism. Always impartial and nonsectarian, Aquarian energy is communal (even global). The focus is on the goal, and the goal is always one that is for the many and not the few. Thus this sign is connected to far-seeing visions, world views and group work of all kinds. This sign tends towards coolness, independence.

The twelfth house is where consciousness dawns - the house of the rising Sun. This is the indeterminate state - the chaos before the new impulse - where all is yet unfulfilled potentialities. Traditionally this is the house of 'sacrifice', and is often connected with prisons, betrayal and self-undoing. Although we can choose to become trapped and frustrated by the many obstructions to attaining our dreams, we can also choose to reach outward and upward to a more fulfilled state, transcending the usual down-dragging conditions and rising above difficulties - thus establishing a life nearer our ideal. Here in the twelfth house we have the capacity to attain liberation by using our visionary scope and working creatively with life's intangibles - the power of imagination!

Pisces energy runs deep and toward the mystical -- whatever transcends the everyday world. This sign is understanding, patient and compassionate. Super-sensitive, it tends to absorb it's surroundings like a sponge. The sign is very trusting, accepting and giving of itself for the sake of more important issues. It loves free-ranging activities which allow for some imaginative scope.

Lastly, there is no 'one and only' reading of the birth chart. The symbols of your horoscope change as your life changes - they mean one thing in the life of a youngster, and quite another in middle age. The mystery of the astrological symbols, and part of their beauty, is that they are flexible enough to be relevant and fixed enough to be meaningful, allowing you to approach your horoscope again and again with questions about past, present and future concerns.

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