Weekly Stars 1st September 2013

Harvest time... New Moon in Virgo on Thursday

Virgo

You are up for the fight in the first half of the week. Not content with surface appearances, you dive deep in debate and confront issues where before you skated over the surface. Taboo matters come to the fore on Sunday and a romantic obsession needs someone to share. You have a taste for the finer things and a generous gift opens a close partner’s heart. Private research uncovers new information and you fight for a cause with no thought of reward. Thursday’s New Moon in Virgo is a turnaround point in your year – take stock and target a big ambition.

Libra

You have an aura of attractiveness and a simple remark has a powerful effect. Venus, your principal planet, sits comfortably and you put people at their ease. You see both sides of a friend’s argument and playing the good cop brings warring parties round the table. Saturday’s Libra Moon is pivotal for a relationship change.

Scorpio

You have a new lease of energy and love to make a splash. Adulation comes at work and you are happy to receive it. Your creativity is in overdrive and a new philosophy  arrives through your artistic endeavours. You do secrecy very well, and Saturday’s behind-closed-doors liaison works best with just you and one special person.

Sagittarius

Take charge with ease and make your travel and study plans. You are creative and opinionated, and debate with a mentor figure frees your mind. Break down boundaries between you and somebody close – you have the nerve to take love where before you feared to tread. Your yoga workout is heavy-going but the rewards are even better.

Capricorn

Wise and deliberate, you express yourself smartly and offer good advice. A project that takes time and energy comes together with one smart idea. Read and study widely on Thursday and combine classic texts with your own insight. Your partner has rich experience and you are both broadminded enough for an honest debate.

Aquarius

Your most outré thoughts are shared by a soul-mate on your level. People-planet Venus closes the gap and you come across in smooth and plausible style. Your energy dips mid-week, but you spring back with a touch of the mystical at Thursday’s New Moon. Get your paperwork straight and you can split the bill on a big project.

Pisces

A spark of inspiration arrives and somebody picks your idea up and runs with it. Between your starry vision and your partner’s sharp thinking, you make a stellar team. You have the ears of a higher-up and putting in a performance propels you up the ranks. Turn on the charm and an injection of outside finance arrives on Saturday.

Aries

Staying true to yourself means shocking your nearest and dearest. Uranus, planet of innovation, brings a genius idea which breaks up your everyday rituals. Still, you haven’t forgotten the personal touch and it pays to exhaust diplomatic routes. Thursday’s practical New Moon favours a new diet and updated gym membership.

Taurus

You remodel your world and ask if some ambitions are worth the candle. Some are, in which case, redouble your efforts. Draw a line through others which sap your energy – positive avenues take their place when you make space. Don’t work hard, work smart. An animal companion is pure therapy and earns you good karmic points.

Gemini

A quality personal performance adds lustre to your native wit. Venus, planet of love, sits sweetly and there’s no dilemma between duty and fun – enjoy both. Romance strikes when you least expect. Volunteer for overtime and the rewards give you excellent value. Invest in your education and find a cause to donate to.

Cancer

Your philosophic mood is a luxury and you ask the big questions. A peak experience appears as a fleeting vision, but this is the closest you come to your true Self. You have the gumption to make things happen and have the boss onside. Sunday’s Cancer Moon makes you feel at home wherever you happen to be.

Leo

Make the most of your energy surge. You are in feisty mood and want to fight all your battles at once. Make your efforts count and pick up the slack with a spot of tai chi. Read the financial pages and get the most mileage from your money. Thursday’s New Moon finds you in good voice and you build a platform for success.

Weekly Stars August 25th 2013

Virgo

Moving into your time of year, the Sun and your ruler Mercury combine in slick, analytic style. You have smart ideas, well expressed and a practical solution appears to a long-standing problem. You are generous with a gift too as Monday calls for a different approach in love. Somebody complains that you are too controlled but you cross your talents with poetry and precision. Make sure you are both on the same page and you read the romantic runes with no illusions. Wednesday gets to the bottom of a question and you go beyond the usual taboo boundaries.

Libra

You like a traditional approach in love and do well with the flowers and candlelight. Still, somebody demands innovation on Monday and cosy coupledom takes a new complexion. A familiar face shows an unpredictable streak and is determined to get a reaction. Selective reading feeds your mind and a genius idea bubbles up in private.

Scorpio

Your subtle leadership tactics turn into full-on flamboyance. Mars, your ruler, hits your chart's peak and you demand full credit for your input. Sharpen your elbows on Thursday and forge your own path. Doors open when you study hard and a sense of all possibilities envelops your world. A private liaison somewhere new adds intrigue.

Sagittarius

You find fame for your ideas and attention to detail carries you over the line. Transition time comes on Wednesday and you take the initiative in travel and study. Add razzmatazz to your style and assert yourself while making friends. The weekend sees a new surge of energy and you surprise someone with your sensitive touch.

Capricorn

Healing energy seeps in your love life and a sympathetic partner is a pure tonic. Take a chance and a past situation that burnt your fingers gets better. You combine cross-eyed intensity with cool thinking and come across as smart and subtle. Next Saturday sees you settling down and you are comfortable in familiar company.

Aquarius

You are on friendly form and you impress somebody who didn't get you before. Venus, the people planet, smiles on you and Aquarian whimsy wins the day. Bosses breathe down your neck and toeing the line at work gets you over a temporary hurdle. A Utopian financial scheme comes together with a touch of the mystical.

Pisces

Big personalities enter your world and help you focus. Mercury, planet of the mind, demands clarity even when your imagination runs riot. Make sure you and honey are on the same level and Tuesday strikes a balance between love and logic. A heavenly dream of the future is achievable, so make it happen no matter what.

Aries

An urbane sort enters your world and sharing is bliss. Venus, planet of diplomacy, succeeds through give and take, and a classy invitation hits the mat. Monday breaks the deadlock and giving your partner freedom in love is your greatest gift. Take the lead at the weekend and your fiery charisma is a license for everyone to be themselves.

Taurus

An earthy complexion to the sky waves you ahead. From a backs-to-the-wall position your world turns around and you learn a lesson in commitment. Follow only these plans that feed you. Talk smart and have a project worked out ready. Monday’s Taurus Moon helps persuade someone and they see sense in your proposition.

Gemini

Handle your loot smartly and it stretches beyond the present time. Expansive Jupiter gives you a golden touch and you make a space to meditate and dream. Talk smoothly to influential types and you are adept at handling a colourful cast of friends. Thursday’s Gemini Moon sees a knife-edge decision turn your way.

Cancer

Ideals you have battled hard for finally come home. Turbulent times demand big decisions, but success comes from following your heart. Take up a teaching role and passion for your subject gives you instant guru status. Friday’s Cancer Moon sharpens your business instinct and a family celebration connects you with your roots.

Leo

Have a game plan for the rocket of energy that descends midweek. Angry Mars gives you zeal and you take the high road on a heartfelt cause. Pick your battles carefully and take a deep breath before telling someone what you really think. You have a great grasp of money and capturing the details gets you a bigger slice of the pie.

Laughing all the way to the bank... Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen, bard of the bedsit, is a classic double Virgo. His lyrical gift is shown by exalted Mercury in the first house, ruling his tenth of career and public image. He is dry, witty, and understated, and his slim, youthful-looking features appear a perfect fit for this sign. Atma Karaka Saturn in the fifth house of creativity describes his worldly wisdom and trademark downbeat delivery.

Apart from his wistful song catalogue, Laughing Len is famous for his financial affairs. In April 2005, at the onset of his Venus Mahadasha, he sued his manager Kelley Lynch for five million dollars, over theft which had allegedly gone on since 1996. For much of the previous five years - during his otherworldly Ketu Mahadasha - Cohen had been in a monastery, by way of becoming an ordained Zen Buddhist monk. Lynch drained almost all of her former client's money, including his pension pot and charitable trust funds.

Mahadasha lord Venus rules the 2nd house of banking from the 12th house of loss and thieves, a signature which is echoed in the Navamsha with 12th house Moon as second lord. This clearly gives him a renunciant's temperament, but the tendency hits him in the pocket: he can make money, but it is dissipated in debts and expenses. Or it gets stolen. 

21st September 1934, 06:45, Montreal, Quebec. 

During the initial trial, Cohen revealed that during their seventeen year association, he and Lynch had had a brief affair. Jupiter, karaka of husbands, is lord of the seventh of business partnerships and litigation, and placed in the second house. She was vengeful and punished him by taking his money. The Los Angeles court found in Cohen's favour and ordered Lynch to pay $9.5 million dollars, though her lawyers claimed she was unreachable and she neither repaid the money nor ever faced criminal charges. 

The theft forced Cohen, at the age of seventy, to tour again. Venus, planet of the arts's Mahadasha activates the ninth house of luck and long-distance travel. He became more popular than ever, and to rave reviews, his 2009 world tour alone netted him an estimated $10m. "Being forced to go back on the road to repair the fortunes of my family and myself", he said, was "a most fortunate happenstance because I was able to connect… with living musicians. And I think it warmed some part of my heart that had taken on a chill."  Jupiter, in the 2nd house of family money, finally showed his benevolent face.

There was a further twist. In 2012, during his Venus-Mars period, Cohen won a further judgement of harassment against Lynch. A Los Angeles court heard that the singer had been targeted for nearly a decade with threatening voicemails and rambling emails from Lynch, who at the time was under a restraining order. "'Cohen is going to be hung,'" the singer drily told jurors, "is not agreeable to hear." Second house Jupiter is aspected by a fallen Mars, lord of the 8th of accountants and also by Saturn in the 5th house of speculation. This time, Lynch was sentenced to eighteen months in prison and five years' probation.

Weekly Stars August 18th 2013

Leo

Show off your artistic side and express yourself in style. Use your diplomatic powers to win a tricky customer round, as people-planet Venus stirs love in your local neighbourhood. Wednesday’s Full Moon highlights your relationships and an old face understands you better than you know yourself. Keep a cool head and an emotional reunion shows you how far you have come. Write your ideas down on Saturday and teaching people the basics reinforces your knowledge. Brains win out over hard work. You scan the fine print on a financial deal and next weekend turns inspiration into gold.  

Virgo

The Sun hitting your sign on Thursday gives you a surge of energy. You take centre stage and a romantic cause captures your imagination. People come to you for expert analysis and your trouble-shooting skills are in demand. You have a taste for luxury and buying the best impresses somebody special that you are serious.

Libra

You look good and a winning way with people sets you apart. Venus, your ruler, gives you sure instincts and good manners succeed even with an edgy personality. You are in pioneering mode at work and an international flavour rewards your career when you stay honest. Wednesday’s Full Moon smiles on a budding romance.

Scorpio

You are nudging a heavy load up a steep hill, but keep going. Saturn, planet of ambition, checks your priorities and you decide which avenues will take you there. Help comes from an unexpected quarter and you turn the corner just as you're about to throw your hands up. Midweek is great for a family occasion – try somewhere different.

Sagittarius

Your mind is sharp and an overbearing task comes easier when you focus. Reel the dream in and strike a balance between freedom and earning a crust. Uranus, planet of counterculture, goes mainstream and nobody bats an eyelid at your quirky lifestyle choice. Look ahead on Wednesday and head off future obstacles in the here and now.

Capricorn

Your partner isn’t content with an unspoken rapport and insists on pressing the issue. Chemistry sparks and serious commitment is on the table. Jupiter, planet of faith, brings you an honest advisor in business and shared values keep you together. Saturday brings mental clarity and you issue orders while keeping your team onside.

Aquarius

You are drawn to somebody’s ideas, though your relationship remains a meeting of minds. Be generous, use your offbeat charm and the liaison hits another level. Think global for Wednesday’s Aquarius Full Moon. You can be ambitious but fair, emotional yet detached, and saving the world with a soul-mate has never been so much fun.

Pisces

Healing and high times combine when you follow your unerring instinct. Neptune, your subtle ruler, sharpens your sense of reality and your career becomes a rescue mission. Enlist a friend to give you critical feedback on a creative master-plan. Thursday’s Pisces Moon is stand-out and you come across persuasively in a 50-50 shoot-out.

Aries

You are in territorial mode and bite back when anyone encroaches on your turf. Keep active, burn off bubbling energy and keep the peace at home. Luck comes when you put family first and put your own spin on a well-trodden tradition. Friday’s Aries Moon favours an impulse decision - if you don't give yourself too long to think. 

Taurus

The brakes go on your ambition as you seek to break new ground. Shadowy Saturn slows your progress and a security source you once relied on has an oppressive quality. Follow your heart and focus on pure excellence. Thursday sees you back on familiar ground and an apparent setback masks the chance to make a measured choice.

Gemini

Jokes and flirtation are on the table and an easy rapport draws you closer to a hot partner. Venus, planet of friendship, sits sweetly and opening up to someone has never been so easy. Spend carefully and getting an education is an investment in yourself. An honest, old-fashioned business deal builds trust for the future.

Cancer
Your world expands and long-term stresses dissolve. Living on Easy Street puts past struggles into perspective and your frustrated career plan is on the move. Your image has a magical quality that others can't emulate. Wednesday's Full Moon breaks down emotional barriers and you find the nerve for that high-charge relationship.

Astroboogie Stars August 11th 2013

Leo

Clearing out your closets makes space in your life and you are ruthless with your reshuffle. You act on an inner level and put energy into personal transformation. Dynamic Mars works best when you fight for a cause close to your heart and let others hog the limelight. Still, you have pride wrapped up in your thinking and a friend's ear gives precious distance on your thinking. Mercury, planet of communication, sparks a brainwave on Wednesday and an insoluble problem is cast in a new light. Technology gives up its secrets. Saturday sees you speaking smoothly and a full romantic production has the desired effect.

Virgo

You are feeling lazy, but it is allowed. Venus, planet of fun, inclines you to down tools and focus on the finer things. Friends play a pivotal role and you get excellent value for including diverse characters in your plans. Writing is pure therapy and time spent in private lets inspiration bubble up from below. Your generous gift on Saturday is a hit.

Libra

An international flavour takes over your career and your ambitions go global. Jupiter, planet of expansion, gives you confidence to ask for the highest and the boss is ready to give it. Ruler Venus hits your sign on Saturday and personal skills set you apart in a tussle for a job. A cool customer warms up unexpectedly to your unaffected charm.

Scorpio

Smile and accept your load, and nothing is beyond you. This is a heavy-duty period at work and at home, but the smart way is to see purpose in your mission. Your energy comes in fits and starts, but sensitivity to others lets you lead in an unorthodox style. Tuesday’s Scorpio Moon gives you an edge and you spring a bold request with confidence.

Sagittarius

You show a stubborn streak and tackle a communication backlog. Routine tasks go smoothly and using your brain saves energy. Cultivate new company and you are happy to support a cause where everybody pulls together. Friday’s Sagittarius Moon lifts you above the common run and an extra push adds enchantment to your evening.

Capricorn

A chink of light appears in a transitional time and you decide whether to stick or twist. Big-hearted Jupiter gives you a boost and you don’t have to pare everything down to a minimum. Sudden changes at home wrong-foot your rivals and you make a pitch into left-field. You smooth things over on Saturday and earn karma points with the boss.

Aquarius

Pull your financial scene together and make your vision real. Neptune, planet of idealism, gives you a rescue plan and you volunteer with no thought of personal gain. Sure, people say you are crazy, but your solid end goal is in sight. Somebody smart is on your wavelength and a shared sense of humour on Wednesday adds a precious spark.

Pisces

Powerful characters notice your talents and you make a deal based on intuition. Apply abstract knowledge to the real world and all the books you read start to make sense. Jupiter, your genial ruler, gives you a sense of ease, but this is the point to raise your sights. A sudden financial windfall comes on the back of a forward-thinking idea.

Aries

You are way out on a limb and insist on looking further ahead. Quirky Uranus sees you forging your own path, in your own style and your own time. Still, a soulmate resonates on Tuesday and you discuss the future without hedging or holding back. You love mixing at the weekend and sharing the experience grabs an opportunity that otherwise goes begging.

Taurus

Somebody stubborn gives you a run for your money on Sunday and it takes time to resolve. Let matters follow their own course. A sudden solution comes from an neutral party, exactly when you least expect. An on-and-off relationship takes a new direction and a partner that you took time to warm to proves their worth.

Gemini

Think big and smart, and spread your money around. Your practical streak presses an old item back into working order. Confusion around your career comes from assuming you can’t have what you want. Reprogram your beliefs and find ways to express your unique talent. A modern guru opens you mind with an alternative answer midweek.

Cancer

You are powerful and assured and there is nothing you can’t do. Still, opposing forces have different ideas and dig their heels in on a principle. Pluto, planet of power, likes control and you bite your lip before responding in kind. Run with your creative plans and a left-field career long promised takes a leap into the future.