The first house has to do with how we appear or the way we come across, thus our appearance and personality. This is the essential stuff that bubbles up in us spontaneously and that is obvious to others as our trademark or activity. It is what makes us each so personally different. This house rules our personal self and everything about us that draws a reaction from our surroundings or others.

Gemini is concerned with connections and communication of all kinds -- letters, wires, telephones, voice, thoughts, writing, and mental processes in general. Gemini is the gadfly, the communicator, the gossip of the zodiac. Searching conversations, scientific inquiry, research, and so on belong here. Gemini energy is unattached, independent, and inquisitive.

The second house is concerned with how we respond to or field whatever impulses or unique and personal qualities we manifest via our first house. This is how we hold or "have" things (possessions, material goods, money, and the like). The second house always refers to how we secure ourselves, the kind of response we get from life and those around us.

Cancer is the mother of the zodiac, always making a home, protecting and providing 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 here. This sign has a sense of substance, a home base or foundation. Cancer energy is always limiting, bringing us down to Earth, grounding our every thought in experience, in substance.

Your career or life-path may depend on your talent for responding and making something out of ideas, insights... whatever is new and challenging. The business world may call for your ability to react and build on opportunities.

The third house is concerned with explorations, investigations, and inquiry and research of all kinds. It also rules connections, communications, wires, tubes -- anything that we can get through with our body, mind, voice, letters, what-have-you. It is here that we explore and search for the limits of our life, whatever we are working with at the moment. A very mental house, concerned with finding, furthering, peering, and all manner of questioning. Traditionally rules short journeys, siblings.

Cancer is the mother of the zodiac, always making a home, protecting and providing 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 here. This sign has a sense of substance, a home base or foundation. Cancer energy is always limiting, bringing us down to Earth, grounding our every thought in experience, in substance.

You have real insight when it comes to anything connected to research, study, and the world of ideas. Your independent mental approach to problem-solving and communication finds you coming up with connections that are new and different.

The fourth house is where we send down roots, find our limits, and generally secure ourselves. It is the end of any searching we might have done in the third house. Here we find or end our search, settle down, and manage to get in possession of the whole situation. This is our home and the base from which we can work, feel, and experience. This is the root of our experience, the core or thick of it.

Leo energy is expressive, emotive, and concerned with awareness and a sense of pride and ownership. Here is always a sense of home base or confidence from which the aggressive and outgoing Leo energy operates. Often very artistic, and always theatrical and expressive, this sign is good for creativity and the arts. Warm and big-hearted, this sign belongs to love of animals, sports, children.

Home, family, and security are important to you. You love to send out roots and build a home base. Sensitive and somewhat private, you tend to be a very feeling (and sometimes vulnerable) person. You sense things and have a good feel for business.

Your mind tends to settle on issues of security -- home, family, and such. Your thoughts have great substance and feeling. An interest in history, the past, and nostalgia may be lifelong.

You may go through a lot of changes that affect your sense of security. Your home and family situation could be a focus for growth and real learning -- an area of great sensitivity and vulnerability.

The fifth house has to do with awareness, emotion (to move out), and expression (to press out). Here there is always a growing sense of self-confidence and even a pride of ownership, since we begin to recognize and own our experience. We know that we have had or are having an experience. All forms of expression and offspring are connected to this house -- children, animals, creative expression, and so on. A sense of direction and ownership takes hold at this point in our experience.

Virgo energy is analytical and precise, always separating what is worthwhile and worth supporting from that which is outmoded and of no further use. A mental sign, where thinking and examining are in high focus. Also, a different kind of mother, here an endless caring and worrying (fussing) about just about everything. Always compassionate and responsive, Virgo energy is service-oriented above all, often thinking and caring more about what others are doing and thinking than for self.

You probably love the theater and all that is creative, expressive, and artsy. You appreciate the dramatic, and emotional scenes are a sign of life to you. You love action, sports, and putting your heart and feelings on the line.

You have great creative imagination, perhaps a strong sense for the dramatic and the ability to express ideas of a mystical or other-worldly flavor. Entertaining children (and adults) with enchanting stories and the like is indicated.

The sixth house has to do with salvaging and preserving what is good and healthy in our experience. Here we separate the wheat from the chaff. We begin to care for ourselves and our experience and thus health, nutrition. The idea here is that we are able to analyze our experience and have thoughts about what is pure and what is not. The sixth house is an attempt to save the heart of an experience, one that already by that attempt is beginning to pass or not cohere.

Libra energy is always facilitating and responsive, assuming the appropriate reaction or response to any question or statement. What is sometimes seen as two-faced is only Libra's facility at responding to each in kind. This is certainly the social sign, par excellence. Impersonal and impartial, this sign doles out only what is demanded, never overdoing things.

Your critical faculties are severe, and it may be difficult for you to exercise them. Once you turn your analytical light on, you tend to be relentless in appraisal. This could make working with others difficult. Good for food, health, conservation.

The seventh house is the house of partnerships, relationships, social life, and all that carries us beyond our personal self into an awareness of other people, community, and the like. This includes spiritual awakening and the discovery that we are more than just our personality. Here we begin to respond to our personal needs (and those of others) for the first time. We can see what is going on and are committed to it; thus, marriage and yoga, or union, is indicated in this house.

Sagittarius is nothing if not direct, candid, and to the point. Sometimes harsh, this energy always is concerned with the absolute truth of the subject at hand. Associated with philosophy, religion, and all things that last, Sagittarius energy is always welcome in politics as well as social and community endeavors, where its basic fairness and evenhandedness is helpful.

You are highly motivated when it comes to relationships (social or private) and strive to rise above personalities. An urge to see unity in everything, to marry or join all disparities, may find you going overboard now and again.

The eighth house, traditionally the house of death, is concerned with getting rid of excess parts of ourselves that we see we no longer need. Thus this house also covers initiation and any activities where we are transforming toward a more integral position, getting to the heart of things. The no-nonsense quality of the eighth house makes it good for business ventures since here we are stripping away the dross to reveal the truth or essence of the subject.

Capricorn is the business energy of the zodiac, for it is the very opposite of the emotional Cancer. Given to clear-headedness and practical insight and vision, this sign always takes a distanced perspective, a cool appraisal. Logical and painstaking, Capricorns love hard work and earned results. Money and things in general are very important.

The ninth house covers long journeys and religion (the longest journey of all). Here is what remains of the purification that takes place in the eighth house -- the seed, or essence, of an entire cycle of experience. Religion comes from a Latin word that means to bind back, and thus refers to all things that last or endure, such as the truth. Essential ideas, philosophy, and all that is the very heart of things belong here.

Capricorn is the business energy of the zodiac, for it is the very opposite of the emotional Cancer. Given to clear-headedness and practical insight and vision, this sign always takes a distanced perspective, a cool appraisal. Logical and painstaking, Capricorns love hard work and earned results. Money and things in general are very important.

The 10th house is a house of practical vision and clairvoyance, for here we can see clearly what is. Reputation and career are often connected to this house, since the areas where we can see with greatest clarity are those we most often can put to use to make a living. In summary, this house is where we have real vision and can see to do and work. Planets transiting this house may provide moments of insight and clear-seeing as well.

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 11th house has to do with putting our visions and dreams to work. We have been on the mountain and had a vision (10th house). Here we take our vows never to forget what we have seen and to work hard to make these dreams into reality. Thus this house has always been connected with altruistic and humanitarian goals and trying to set them in motion. It is the house of friends and community, because when we are powered by a real insight or vision we share with all -- irrespective of differences.

Pisces energy runs deep and toward the psychological -- whatever is beneath the surface. This sign is understanding, patient, and long-suffering. Pisces tend to absorb all the little barbs and digs coming from outside. They always have their mind on an inner goal, something more important. They are very forgiving and accepting -- giving of themselves for the sake of more important issues.

You need to be part of a group and draw strength and encouragement from your friends and acquaintances. Working with others, especially on community or humanitarian efforts, is perfect for you. You grow through making ideals real.

The 12th house is about all that we go through in order to make our dreams into reality and manifest them in the world around us. It covers what we are willing to put up with, the sacrifices we will make in order to bring across what is really important. This is connected to prisons, institutions, betrayal, self-undoing, and the like, because it is here that we must choose to take some possible abuse for the sake of the message we are carrying, or blow it all away with a negative reaction.

Aries is the sign of the pioneer and leader. It is always impulsive, concentrated, and spontaneous. Act first and think about what you have done later. Rushing in where others fear to tread, the Aries energy is attention-getting. It always provokes a response from the surroundings, from others. There is something essential and instigative that starts or causes something else to happen -- a reaction or response.

At the time of our birth, the planets (through their configurations and relationships) tell us something about how things were when we were born. Each planet points to special qualities within us. Yet, of all the planets, the two most important planets to astrologers are the "lights," the Sun and the Moon. From where we stand here on Earth, the great shining Sun by day and the reflecting Moon at night are our constant companions. They have much to tell us as to where we have been and where we are headed.

From the Sun comes light, that which draws us into life. The Sun represents all the changes we have not yet taken, that part of us that we have not yet experienced but are headed toward. The Sun represents our identity, or self, in that it is toward these that we are moving and developing. Thus, it also represents that which we will become: older people, authorities -- those we look toward, or up to. Our essence, or future. Teachers, gurus, and older (more experienced) people are represented by the Sun. The Sun is "hot stuff," those further up the road of life experience.

You are outgoing, overflowing, and very generous. Always the leader, if not the center of any group, you seldom fail to exhibit strong emotions. You are proud of yourself and of your accomplishments. Dramatic and just plain happy to be here, you are warm of heart, gregarious, outspoken, and independent.

You communicate with consummate skill, and it is stimulating just being with you. Your high degree of mental concentration makes you an excellent student, able to excel in speaking, writing, and all types of communication skills. Your ambitions go hand-in-hand with communication and using the mind, and the two should never be far apart.

It is easy for you to work with those in authority -- those older and more experienced than you. You enjoy working with others and would make a good manager. An interest (and ability) in athletics, exercise (working with the physical body), the outdoors, and such, should be lifelong. Another form this could take is training or coaching others. You have a natural ability to express yourself and handle emotions and you may like to perform a bit. A career in one of the entertainment industries is a possibility.

You have a natural ability to grasp spiritual and visionary matters and to put them to work. You can perform with the imagination and metaphysical thoughts like others work with durable things. This is because you understand what is behind and connecting things. Much of your own self-image is wrapped up with your ability to work with images -- dreams and the imagination. You would make a good teacher in areas of music, philosophy, and all that is mystical.

You come on strong and may tend to intimidate those around you. It's nothing you have done so much as something you are. Your presence and obvious concentration are very forceful, and you like to get down to essentials right off. This intensity tends to put others through a lot of changes. You are not afraid of a good confrontation, and you seldom pull any punches. You would be great at research or any work that requires digging, searching, investigating, and getting beneath the surface.

You tend to be a home body, and family interests often outweigh career concerns. This could prove difficult if you neglect practical matters or go out of your way to challenge those in authority. Others may find you uninterested in fame and career.

Here is information about the kind of environment we create around us, our support system. It is not only the surroundings that we set up today, but the Moon also represents our past, the particular history and social background out of which we grew. Aside from our social background, the Moon governs all of the old habits that we have grown beyond. We tend to look down on, or back on, our Moon. It represents those experiences out of which we have come, all those younger souls who are unconscious, or "sub" conscious to our own level. This is why it is said that the Moon is a mystery planet, for it is both our parent and our child: our parent in that out of it we were born, our child in that we can't but respond to others who are now living as we once did.

You can be impulsively direct when relating to others, and may seem fierce or harsh. Independent to the point of loneliness, you don't mind a more Spartan environment than most. You can get by on little. You have a short fuse, and harsh exchanges are not uncommon. Others could feel hurt by this.

Your ideas and images about the traditional (history in general) and the environment around you make it easy for you to work with and teach others. You understand and perform well with younger people and know what it takes to create a supportive environment. You handle words and tell stories with consummate skill, and others love to hear you speak or entertain. You have a touch of the Blarney Stone about you.

You have trouble appreciating or feeling comfortable with your emotions, especially when with others. Your particular set of values and appreciation may provoke confrontations with others. You don't care how they may be feeling, and they may not be very supportive of some of your own values. You are not noted for your great sense of discrimination when it comes to your surroundings including the environment you live in. You don't care much for psychology, customs, and traditional values, in general.

The path or career that you take may go against tradition and thus sometimes be a lonely one. Don't expect much support from those around you. There is also some danger you could overextend, making decisions that go against your own better feelings and instincts. Career choices could be at the expense of home and surroundings. Your approach to solving problems may get you in hot water with others, resulting in frequent debates, if not out-and-out arguments.

The image you project of what is perfect or ideal from your point of view may find little support at home. Others could oppose or block you in these matters, and maintaining your dreams may be at the price of your friends and surroundings. You may find your background, environment, and all that is traditional less than ideal, even flat and uninspiring.

Everything seems to conspire to put you in the limelight. You always come off well in a group and manage to get your ideas across.

Your career always seems to get the support you need, and this is one area of life that runs smoothly. You seem to understand what the public wants, and mass marketing is a natural for you.

The planets Mercury and Venus have more to do with our internal and personal life than with life outside us. These inner planets are located between the orbit of the Earth and the Sun. We can look to qualities that are inside us. Venus indicates how we appreciate and measure our experience, how we value life. Mercury tells us something about how our mind works, how we think and communicate -- our intrinsic brightness.

Mercury is the light in our eyes, the ever-changing consciousness within us that moves from idea to idea. Thus Mercury has always represented thoughts, ideas, and the mental process in general. It governs not only ideas, but communications, too. Communications -- by phone, letter, spoken, or however -- are ruled by Mercury. Also thoughts, connections, phone wires, and everything that connects and conveys -- even conversations.

You are dynamic and always expressive in thought and speech -- dramatic. You appreciate your own ideas, and tend to be outgoing in speech and manner. Fresh. Warm. You put forth strong views and are hard to influence or change. Emotional and a good entertainer, you are louder than average and tend to exaggerate. You are a lover. There are always plenty of tears and laughter.

You are very bright, and you may be very proud of your mind and all that it can do. You have a high degree of concentration that makes you an excellent student and able to excel in speaking, writing, and all types of communication skills.

A great speaker or entertainer. At the very least, the gift of gab. Working with or teaching others and communicating via the mind in general are indicated. A natural storyteller, you are at home in the world of myths and dreams.

You have a great love of the written and spoken word, and ideas in all their flavors are what you like best to work with. Your enthusiasm for mind, the intellect, and the world of ideas makes it easy for you to communicate these things to others. You would be a good teacher. You have no trouble putting your feelings into words, and what you say always carries a lot of content. You could make a fine entertainer and an excellent speaker.

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.

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.

Your mind runs to domestic issues; home and family are always on your mind. This trait could work against your career interests, especially if your job requires managerial and organizational skills. Perhaps a home business would be good.

A socialite, you love decorum and etiquette, but relationships are the big thing -- friends. A peacemaker, sometimes superficial, you avoid all harsh and crude actions, people or things. You appreciate care, concern for life, equality, gentleness, and acceptance.

Your sense of values and the way you care about things may prove challenging to others. You may not appreciate the emotions and moods you feel, especially when in a group. You may not care much for psychology, history, or the problems of younger people.

You love appearances and have a way of pleasing others and coming across as loving and kind.

Your love of job and practical skills makes you a fine manager and business person. You bring a great deal of love to your work.

The major planets outside the Earth's orbit (external to us) are Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. These are the planets of the outer world -- life as we find it outside ourselves. Mars tells us something about the drive and energy we have, Jupiter shows us how to best channel that energy, and Saturn decrees what sort of material or territory we will be passing through. Again: Saturn tells us about the territory we will be going through, Jupiter the way or path through it, and Mars what kind of push or drive we can count on to keep going.

Mars is the planet of emotion and inner motivation or drive. When we search for the meaning of something, life or whatever, it is Mars that urges us on, keeps us searching. Mars also drives us against things, too and sends us into war and combat. The urgency of Mars, the search for meaning, is identical to the need for union, yoga, and marriage. Mars is the planet of union, and marriage is the most common form of yoga. When we have questions about the opposite sex, we are looking at the planet Mars.

With direct drive, you always head straight to the heart of the matter. You are candid, even blunt or brusque in manner. No bells or whistles needed, for you like simple living and could be an outdoors person. You have an urge to be free, to be challenged and tested, and would rather travel far than be stuck in routine.

A natural ability to use emotions in productive ways. Entertaining others is one form this might take. Hard work and all things physical (such as sports and outdoor activities) should be a snap. You are able to manage and see how to work with the energy of others.

Language, sound, "the spoken word" are in focus. The ability to give words meaning or to put ideas into words and give others a feeling for what things mean. Communicating with words. Also a sharp and clear mind. Quick, even clever. Entertaining.

The word here is accomplishment. If there is a job, you can do it. A prodigious worker, you pour yourself into any task with absolute determination. You are responsible to the extreme and take on obligations as though you just can't get enough. You enjoy discipline, and limitations are seen as opportunities rather than as handicaps. You would make a good teacher of others in matters of organization, practical competence, and the like. You have a great desire and drive to be thorough and responsible down to the smallest details. You always know what is essential and what is not. You love the routine.

You have an ability to work with the imagination, reaching beyond the mundane to the potential beyond. Your enthusiasm for mystical and religious experience makes you an excellent teacher in artistic and creative matters. Your sense of the unity behind things spiritual and psychological is clear and felt by those around you. You are, no doubt, a romantic, at home in the world of dreams and images. You enjoy working in these areas.

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.

Jupiter is the planet of success and simple survival, the way we have to solve the problems that confront us. Thus Jupiter has to do with the way in which we can be successful, our vocation. The Hindu word for Jupiter is Guru. Jupiter is the guru and guide, the way we go through life, our life path or vocation. Jupiter is the method each of us has for dealing with the laws of life, our Saturn, or limitations. Jupiter is the light or path. Jupiter provides us with our sense of direction, the path we are on, the way we handle life. It affects how we approach life's problems. It has always been an indicator of how successful we may be, our vocation.

A career in big business is possible, for you like broad, secure foundations. It is important for you to feel safe, and you are very domestic -- family, home, and kids. Supportive, nurturing, you use your intuition and gut instinct over thought and deliberation. Fiercely loyal, you are a street fighter when protecting your own interests or those you love. Very dependable.

You may have trouble finding support for what you do (your path or career). The way to success for you seems to run counter to emotions and sentiment. You avoid activities having to do with your past environment. Your business is non-domestic.

Unusual vocations. Your career or life path, the way you make your living or get through life, will be very different, perhaps unique. You always take the road less traveled by and, skirting the crowd and the commonplace, head for parts unknown. Your approach to any problem is always original and you could invent things or discover new places or develop new ways of doing things. Communications, computers, and the whole electronic revolution are a perfect career choice for you.

Your tendency to compromise and settle for less than you dreamed can be a problem. Given the opportunity, you may choose the path of least resistance, willing to bypass some of the things you always wanted in favor of expediency. Career moves must be given special attention. Tension results when you ignore your own desires (the things you need and want) and take a course of action, job, career, or whatever that can never satisfy. Or worse, you may find yourself in a job that is compromising.

The process of finding out who we are (self-discovery) starts when we come to grips with whatever problems life presents to us and begin to get a handle on them. In other words, if we have not dealt with Saturn, or time (that is, if we don't have some control of time), there is little opportunity for other questions. Saturn rules the laws and limitations of this material world we all live in. Saturn indicates where we are bound to learn, the narrowness that makes our way felt, the walls that make homes possible. Saturn holds us together as much as apart. Saturn is said to be the great teacher, the planet that keeps us from getting carried away in one direction or another. Although it always seeks to limit and determine any thought, word, or action, it also defines and clarifies. Saturn is called the prince of the material world.

You have difficulty owning up to any selfishness, sexuality or mental undercurrents of any kind. You may attempt to deny your passions, but you need to accept instincts, attachments, and all things natural. Allow your desires to function unhindered. Take off the straight-jacket. Feel it.

Applied force. Practical competence. Tremendous discipline and a love of routine work. Ability to simplify, code, and reduce a subject to its essential elements. Inner drive to be thorough and responsible in minute details. Self-disciplined.

In the previous sections, we have dealt with planets that we can see with our naked eyes. In general, these planets refer to life as we know and live it and are the so-called historical or classic planets. Beyond these are three planets that are not visible in the sky and which have cycles longer than the average human life span. Since they are beyond Saturn or time, astrologers call them the trans-personal or transcendental planets -- the planets beyond the physical. One of the ways astrologers learn something about our life beyond time (eternal life) is through these three outer planets: Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. Here we find information on how we discover ourselves (Uranus), how we understand and accept these discoveries (Neptune), and, in time, how we depend and identify with them (Pluto).

Our responsibilities can tend to weigh us down, and we each have our particular ways of getting around (or breaking through) the mass of obstructions that tends to congeal around us. The planet that has to do with how we get beyond the difficulties and problems life presents us is Uranus. Here is the way insights come to us, how we discover or come to know and understand ourselves. It has to do with finding new uses for old things, and it rules inventions and sudden insights into our life -- everything that is unusual, eccentric, and out of the ordinary. It is the reverse of the status quo and is always unconventional and heretical. Uranus is, in many ways, the opposite, or undoing of Saturn.

You are very innovative in your approach to home, family, and the domestic scene and can really see how to get into traditional values. You have natural insight into sensations, feelings, and just living life. You like to relax by gardening, cooking, and being with family. You get off on the humdrum.

Yours is an unconventional path that may take you into unknown and uncharted waters. Inventive and original, you may come up with new and different solutions. Electronics, computers, and the like may be to the fore.

The rebel in you likes to ignore your dreams and ideals and just let come what may. You relish your freedom and independence and pursue it even at the expense of what you know you really want. You can take delight in ruining your own deep-rooted dreams. The romantic in you struggles against the frontier spirit that often moves you to action.

Even the most hard-nosed of us have moments of real understanding, when things are seen as linked together and one piece. We stop getting the idea in little flashes and just get the whole thing. It dawns on us. We each have our own way of letting go, having communion, and (as the poet wrote) letting "the dewdrop slip into the shining sea." These moments and this state of mind are, in fact, the source for all our imagination. There are many ways of seeing through the separateness in the world to the unity behind it.

Relationships are the ideal. Non-discriminating and impersonal in scope, to you all are equal. You are seldom bound by tradition or personal ties and are not domestic. You hold the ideal vision up to the real. You open up in response to others and accept others as yourself.

A born mother to any and all forms of life. Very compassionate and attentive (aware of) the needs of others. Spiritual ideas and concepts are a way of life here. There is deep appreciation, even love for, movies, big ideas, themes. Visionary director.

Your hopes and dreams may be maintained at the expense of your emotions and home life. Others may challenge or find themselves opposed to your ideals or the image you project. Your interest in the occult and spiritual may not always find group support.

Great psychological talent. Able to sense and feel in the more abstract mental areas and to bring far-out ideas down to earth. Always at the leading edge of social understanding. Great sense of compassion and a real understanding of others.

Driven towards the communal, to what unifies us all. Always seeing what we hold in common, rather than our differences. Idealism of a high order. Religious themes. Romantic. At home in psychic or psychological realms. The common denominator.

Your goals and ideals are often in contrast to the actual decisions you make, in particular those regarding career. Your tendency to head in directions that are less than ideal, that don't fit your own dreams and self-image, causes tension.

Your independence and unconventional manner may be at the expense of ideals and dreams. You may alternate between following your more traditional ideals and shattering your self-image via some very erratic and unusual behavior.

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 us and moving toward the surface. It often touches upon the most sensitive psychological areas inside us. Once touched, we have no choice but to change and grow. The most sensitive of experiences, the times of greatest vulnerability, are times of complete identification with an experience, a person, or a thing. We know in these instants that we are looking at our self, what we are. The most personal of experiences is one of complete identification with a person, moment, or idea. Perhaps this is only possible for most of us when we look into our child's eyes, and then only infrequently. Love is not the experience here, but total identification. This is very sensitive stuff. To touch upon this material is to go through deep inner change and transformation -- inner alchemy. Identification and experiencing that life is our own creation and that, in fact, you are I and I am you. This experience breaks us down and humbles. When we touch upon this experience, we cannot but die to what we have been thinking and doing up to now. It reduces us to our most sensitive because -- in a flash -- we see or remember that it all is us, our life.

You are very sensitive (even vulnerable) when it comes to expressing yourself, getting it out. Periods of intense creativity enable you to go through changes and inner growth. This creative intensity is good for music, poetry, art, and such.

Others may find you very intense and too personal. You are very direct and manage to get to the heart of most matters without thinking. Power struggles are not unknown to you, and you may work in politics or with authorities -- those older than you.

Your intense and probing mind has no trouble getting at the heart of any question. Woe to anyone who tries to argue with you or hide things from you. A natural mind for research, detective work, and any undercover operations. Always curious.

Great intensity of emotions and purpose. Could be a spokesperson for a cause or a generation. Fearless in action and not afraid to use power. Will have your way. Know how to get what you want. A very magnetic and perhaps controversial personality.

A searing vision that cuts through what passes for conventional religion. A vision of the endless process of life ever being born afresh. Great acceptance and faith in the natural process and next generation. Love of children and animals.

These are areas of life where we show intense focus and activity. For better or worse, these qualities stand out and are obvious to all those who come to know us. They are very clear parts of our character.

You come on strong and may tend to intimidate those around you. It's nothing you have done so much as something you are. Your presence and obvious concentration are very forceful, and you like to get down to essentials right off. This intensity tends to put others through a lot of changes. You are not afraid of a good confrontation, and you seldom pull any punches. You would be great at research or any work that requires digging, searching, investigating, and getting beneath the surface.

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 communicate with consummate skill, and it is stimulating just being with you. Your high degree of mental concentration makes you an excellent student, able to excel in speaking, writing, and all types of communication skills. Your ambitions go hand-in-hand with communication and using the mind, and the two should never be far apart.

Unusual vocations. Your career or life path, the way you make your living or get through life, will be very different, perhaps unique. You always take the road less traveled by and, skirting the crowd and the commonplace, head for parts unknown. Your approach to any problem is always original and you could invent things or discover new places or develop new ways of doing things. Communications, computers, and the whole electronic revolution are a perfect career choice for you.

Life can be challenging, and things are not always easy. The major challenges in a natal chart are where we can expect increased activity and personal involvement -- ready or not. These critical areas of life can be difficult, and the resulting confusion and possible obscuration often makes it hard for us to see and act with normal clarity. Therefore, when it comes to the following factors you may wish to exercise caution and extra patience.

The rebel in you likes to ignore your dreams and ideals and just let come what may. You relish your freedom and independence and pursue it even at the expense of what you know you really want. You can take delight in ruining your own deep-rooted dreams. The romantic in you struggles against the frontier spirit that often moves you to action.

You have trouble appreciating or feeling comfortable with your emotions, especially when with others. Your particular set of values and appreciation may provoke confrontations with others. You don't care how they may be feeling, and they may not be very supportive of some of your own values. You are not noted for your great sense of discrimination when it comes to your surroundings including the environment you live in. You don't care much for psychology, customs, and traditional values, in general.

The path or career that you take may go against tradition and thus sometimes be a lonely one. Don't expect much support from those around you. There is also some danger you could overextend, making decisions that go against your own better feelings and instincts. Career choices could be at the expense of home and surroundings. Your approach to solving problems may get you in hot water with others, resulting in frequent debates, if not out-and-out arguments.

Your tendency to compromise and settle for less than you dreamed can be a problem. Given the opportunity, you may choose the path of least resistance, willing to bypass some of the things you always wanted in favor of expediency. Career moves must be given special attention. Tension results when you ignore your own desires (the things you need and want) and take a course of action, job, career, or whatever that can never satisfy. Or worse, you may find yourself in a job that is compromising.

Your mind runs to domestic issues; home and family are always on your mind. This trait could work against your career interests, especially if your job requires managerial and organizational skills. Perhaps a home business would be good.

The image you project of what is perfect or ideal from your point of view may find little support at home. Others could oppose or block you in these matters, and maintaining your dreams may be at the price of your friends and surroundings. You may find your background, environment, and all that is traditional less than ideal, even flat and uninspiring.

You tend to be a home body, and family interests often outweigh career concerns. This could prove difficult if you neglect practical matters or go out of your way to challenge those in authority. Others may find you uninterested in fame and career.

Despite whatever problems we may have, there are areas of life where we have clear insight and real talent -- natural ability. When it comes to these matters, our judgment is sharp and we always manage to take charge. We have the knack. It may be as simple as the ability to work hard and accomplish things without something going wrong. An innate sense of the workings of these parts of life makes it easy for us to learn and accomplish things where they are concerned.

Your career always seems to get the support you need, and this is one area of life that runs smoothly. You seem to understand what the public wants, and mass marketing is a natural for you.

You have a natural ability to grasp spiritual and visionary matters and to put them to work. You can perform with the imagination and metaphysical thoughts like others work with durable things. This is because you understand what is behind and connecting things. Much of your own self-image is wrapped up with your ability to work with images -- dreams and the imagination. You would make a good teacher in areas of music, philosophy, and all that is mystical.

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.

You love appearances and have a way of pleasing others and coming across as loving and kind.

It is easy for you to work with those in authority -- those older and more experienced than you. You enjoy working with others and would make a good manager. An interest (and ability) in athletics, exercise (working with the physical body), the outdoors, and such, should be lifelong. Another form this could take is training or coaching others. You have a natural ability to express yourself and handle emotions and you may like to perform a bit. A career in one of the entertainment industries is a possibility.

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.

You have an ability to work with the imagination, reaching beyond the mundane to the potential beyond. Your enthusiasm for mystical and religious experience makes you an excellent teacher in artistic and creative matters. Your sense of the unity behind things spiritual and psychological is clear and felt by those around you. You are, no doubt, a romantic, at home in the world of dreams and images. You enjoy working in these areas.

Your love of job and practical skills makes you a fine manager and business person. You bring a great deal of love to your work.

The word here is accomplishment. If there is a job, you can do it. A prodigious worker, you pour yourself into any task with absolute determination. You are responsible to the extreme and take on obligations as though you just can't get enough. You enjoy discipline, and limitations are seen as opportunities rather than as handicaps. You would make a good teacher of others in matters of organization, practical competence, and the like. You have a great desire and drive to be thorough and responsible down to the smallest details. You always know what is essential and what is not. You love the routine.

Everything seems to conspire to put you in the limelight. You always come off well in a group and manage to get your ideas across.

Your ideas and images about the traditional (history in general) and the environment around you make it easy for you to work with and teach others. You understand and perform well with younger people and know what it takes to create a supportive environment. You handle words and tell stories with consummate skill, and others love to hear you speak or entertain. You have a touch of the Blarney Stone about you.

You have a great love of the written and spoken word, and ideas in all their flavors are what you like best to work with. Your enthusiasm for mind, the intellect, and the world of ideas makes it easy for you to communicate these things to others. You would be a good teacher. You have no trouble putting your feelings into words, and what you say always carries a lot of content. You could make a fine entertainer and an excellent speaker.

Astrologers use the term "transits" to mean the positions of the major planets that are overhead (in the sky) right now and their relationship to our birth chart. Transits are very important indicators of the current situation in which we find ourselves. They can provide insight into what we are now going through. Here are the dates when the next major transits for the planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto are exact in your chart. Some dates will have already passed and some are still to come. Remember, with these large planets transits don't just happen on the day when they are exact. They cover a wide span of days, weeks, months, and sometimes years, depending on which planet is involved.

In general, transits of Jupiter take from several days to a week or two to complete, while those of Saturn take from two weeks to a month to play themselves out. With the outer planets, the period of activity is even longer: transits of Uranus take about two months, Neptune three or four months, and Pluto takes about a year. Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto move so slowly that the complete transit experience may take a year or two to complete itself. So be prepared to work with these situations.

Career moves may depend upon your cutting through some of the fluff and really taking care of business, getting down to your most practical. Ridding yourself of excess (what is nonessential) may be a key move.

A real time to buckle down and consolidate your career. Your organizational abilities and sense of responsibility will be what guide you and prove successful. Your career could assume a much more determined and solid form -- a firm foundation.

Career decisions that point to real success may go against your sense of values. You may not be able to appreciate this particular way or road to success. The way life is going may seem to ignore much of what you love and appreciate.

Your career and life direction are putting some real pressure on your home and emotional life. Obviously you can't live without both, so some kind of self-control on your part is indicated. You may have trouble with subordinates or younger people.

Possibly a career turning-point that may require some careful thought and good judgment on your part. The current flow of events may dictate a path that runs against your best talents and abilities. Don't sell yourself short. Hang in there.

A bout of philosophy or even a little religion could have an enormous effect on your career during this time. Lasting values (whatever you find to be true and lasting) can guide you now, opening up avenues that have remained blocked.

Breakthroughs in your career could open up during this time, making it possible for you to solve problems and reach new levels of accomplishment. Improved solutions, insights, and approaches make this an opportunity not to be passed over.

It could be easy to get carried away and to ignore facts or think in a fuzzy or deluded manner. Your ideals (what you imagine for yourself) may be challenged by the ideas and thoughts of others. Communications could become blurred.

A time to reach beyond the physical into the realm of myths and dreams. You may have the sensation of being awake within your own dream, and reality may be like you dreamed it could be. This is a time for visions and seeing the unity beyond differences.

A tremendous sense for taking care of business is upon you. You are relentless about cutting through appearances and laying bare what is really essential in a situation. This amounts to a passion and benefits you in all business situations.

Here we are examining your basic attitude or approach to life, what is called by some the archetype or soul-type. If you know something about your particular soul-type, this can provide valuable information as to the general direction and purpose of your life. In particular, it is important to note the difference, if any, between our outer personality (the way we appear to others) and our real inner self; how are we, in fact, as people get to know us? Not all people are as they seem.

You are no secret. Outside or inside, there is not much difference. You are just as you appear.

You are independent, confident, and more than likely more than a little self-centered. You love attention and somehow manage to gravitate to the center of almost any group or happening. Others accept you, for they sense you are a leader and admire your almost regal manner. Yet they may have to keep their distance, for as much as you love attention and the crowd, you are also fiercely protective of your independence, sense of freedom, and -- above all -- your privacy. There is a kind of contradiction here. When in the mood, you love to express yourself, entertain and perform for others, and enjoy being surrounded by an audience. You are very magnetic and dynamic. Others love to be with you. There is something about you that others can't seem to get enough of; yet for all your confidence, you tend to depend on others for advice and counsel. Your grasp of the moment is unquestioned. You're it, or at least always in the midst of it. Yet you find yourself needing the advice of someone who is not as involved, someone to give you directions from time to time. In a sense, you are all dressed up but are not sure where to go or where you are headed. And because of this, you depend on those around you for direction and guidance during the times when you lose sight of the bigger picture.

You are a very feeling person and can sense the drift of a situation without a lot of analysis. This immediate "hands-on" approach might be contrasted with one that is more deliberate and cerebral. You could be left with a bit of an inferiority complex when it comes to matters of education, philosophy, and conceptual ability. In a word, you revere this kind of stuff, not because it is natural to you but rather because it does not come easy for you. You have to work for it. There may be a tendency on your part to puff up your intellectual powers.

It is said that there are just two kinds of people in the world, those who are born to love and those who are born to be loved. You are the second type, one who is born to be loved and cared for by others. Don't feel bad about attracting attention in a group. People love to be with you and find you very easy to love. Everyone wants a piece of you, and this can result in your needing more space, a chance to be alone. Your type is not famous for being attentive to the needs of others or being very demonstrative in a love relationship. You are the immovable object that others find irresistible and sometimes selfish. You love to express yourself and are a born entertainer. You are very stubborn and have great stamina. You may tend to fear that others find you a little dense or too sense-oriented. You radiate energy and information and have to just accept the fact that people like to feel your warmth. Let them take care of you. You sit on the throne.

Each person has one or more key qualities. Here we are not referring to our appearance or personality, but rather to our inner nature, how we are when someone really gets to know us.

Just being yourself, living your life for the moment, being here now. In some sense, just being yourself is both the goal itself and the means of traveling to that goal. Others sense that your life is important. You are your own reason for being. You are yourself both the end that you are heading for and the way, or vehicle, that gets you there. You, as a being, are yourself the heart and center of all your inner activity. Your dreams, visions, and ideals propel you, but always from within. You follow the inner guide, and your ambitions are true and serve to show the way.

The key to understanding your personality and the circumstances in which you find yourself can be found in the environment or support system that surrounds you. You are very much the creature of habit and habitat, and the encircling network of friends, relationships, and what-not are crucial to your success or lack thereof. You are nourished in great measure by the atmosphere and conditions you are able to set up.

You tend to take everything with great intenseness. Your drive to get at the heart and truth of things is constantly invoked, and serves as a common theme in your life.

Your inner self and your goals are the most active facets of your personality. They receive more stress and attention than other areas of your life.

What follows amounts to a brief overview of the first thirty years or so of your life -- a road map of the years to come. Since childhood, adolescence, and early adult life are so crucial to each of us, an attempt has been made to describe these formative years. Based on the gradual movement of the planet Saturn, this is one of the most tested of all astrological techniques. It is used by almost every professional astrologer as part of any personal consultation. Provided that your time of birth is more or less accurate, you will find this information both accurate and informative. Here is a general life overview, followed by a close-up on your current changes -- what is happening right now. First the overview:

You are a late bloomer, and your childhood should be an easy one. However, in your early teens (somewhere around the age of 14-15), you will take a distinct turn toward the more inner and subjective. This could mean a number of years when you feel insecure, very alone, and quite on your own. The years from 14 through 21 or 22 will be times of intense searching and self-examination during which you may not have much outwardly to show others as to who you are or what you can do. You could be perceived as hard to reach, and you may feel that no one recognizes who you are. Fear not, for this is not a long-term condition. In your early to middle twenties, you will have a real awakening (suddenly find yourself), will move outward, and will find something upon which you can build with confidence. Each year afterwards brings a gain in self-confidence and accomplishments. Your most successful years (from 30-40) will bring you material gain and outward recognition. You could reach a peak of fame or success around the 37th or 38th year.

Now for a close-up of recent years: while landscape was quite general, the dates given in this close-up should be much more precise. Life is composed of sections of time, each devoted to one kind of activity or another. We go along for a while in one direction until something changes within (or outside) us and we head off in a new course. Some of our earlier activities dry up and new ones spring up in their place. What follows is an analysis of the time period in which you find yourself now. Don't look here for a day-to-day account of life but rather to get a picture of this stretch of time, "these years."

The dates above point to the end of a period of about seven years during which you may have been very inward and self-absorbed -- quiet, subjective years. Information that you have been examining and thinking about will now begin to take shape and prove useful to you. This next period is one of action and embarking on new projects. You will feel more and more confident and outgoing, a sense of confidence that grows stronger with each passing day. Things that may have been in suspended animation for many years will now precipitate and take on structure and shape. These next years are ones in which you should plan to work hard to bring out and give shape to the ideas you have pored over these last 6-7 years. You are beginning to really move forward now and can expect rewards to take an outward career, and social form within a few years. A growing self-confidence. In summary, from this time forward, expect a more confident, outgoing attitude, for you have brought to a close a time of inward examination and learning. A growing sense of direction and self-worth will find you reaching out and establishing yourself.

We all change, but the question is: At what rate? Some of us tear through change after change, one phase following another, year after year, while others move at a more serene pace. Or, one area of our lives may be hectic and forever changing, while other areas are quite tranquil. Why do some people seem to live lifetimes within lifetimes? Here is an analysis of your particular rate of change or "burn rate," including the particular areas of your life (planets) where you can expect continued change and growth. Areas where there is a very low index of change (indicating clear and easy use of the qualities involved) will also be pointed out. If you have sometimes wondered about the areas of your life where the candles burn at both ends, here are the details.

You have a high burn rate (index of change) and tend to run hot and fast. It is almost like having many lifetimes within this single one. Things are always fast and furious with you, and you seldom remain calm for long. Your thirst for experience and growth keeps you always on the move. You work through an enormous amount of change compared to an average person. In particular, the following qualities are areas where you have experienced and will continue to experience much change. These areas of life persist in presenting themselves to you, so you may already have become very experienced in them. On the other hand, they could be arenas in which you struggle but have not yet attained mastery.

A majority of planets in the PAST suggests that you are comfortable with established values. You know and understand more than you let on, and life changes seldom take you by surprise. You have a great deal of control over your actions.

Emotional change and growth will be in high focus and amount to a constant in your life. A high burn rate here suggests that feelings, motivation, and sheer drive will be a trademark as well as a source of continual experience and learning. You find yourself in constant change in matters of feelings, and emotional scenes are part of your stock and trade. Experience in these realms will be extensive.

An innate and true sense of psychology. Able to penetrate and get to the heart of any matter, without hesitation or wavering. This gift is full-blown and requires no training. Your low burn rate here means that you are always direct and to the point.

Elements, modalities, and house quadrants. These are all techniques used by astrologers to gain a general picture of how a person measures up. How do your planets and houses total up? Which do you have in abundance, and which do you lack, if any? Those with high totals show what we can or must do in life. These are qualities we have. However, most people are more interested by what they lack or want -- their lowest totals. They tend to study their "wants," imitate, and even pretend to have them. The old adage is: we become what we want (or lack), while we do what we can (or have to do). Here are your totals:

Your positivism lets you get right to the point, and you have little patience with those who shilly-shally. You've plenty of enthusiasm and warm up to things and people quickly. You have an inner self-confidence which burns with its own light.

Common sense and the ability to deal with practical matters may be lacking, and you may wonder at those who spend much time making money, doing life's chores, and attending to basic necessities. You depend on mental activity and confidence.

You are an aggressive prime mover, a starter, able to initiate and get things moving. Not always hot on the follow-up, you may tend to get the ball rolling and get out to move on to other things.

You may lack flexibility, managing a foot-in-the-mouth when you least need it. You could have trouble adapting to situations or to the demands of those around you. Perhaps it is not easy for you to communicate or smooth over things.

You may complain of never having any privacy or time to think -- your pattern seems to throw you much in contact with people and the outer world. Being an extrovert, you may have difficulty understanding reclusive types.

This feature is based on an intricate analysis of the position of a particular planet in relation to the orbital planes of the other planets. The resulting series of crossings, or nodes, tells us something about the nature of our innermost inclinations (Inc) and disinclinations (Dis). These indicators are not to be considered at the level of our personality, but rather are deep-seated parts of our innermost character -- our internal biases. These pros and cons are not apt to change in the course of our lifetime.

You don't spend a lot of time thinking out your problems, considering solutions, and the like. Your thoughts are most often elsewhere, and tend to be impractical much of the time. You can't seem to figure out the right course of action. This is most true when it comes to your career or vocation. Not a good counselor yourself, you are well advised to seek the advice of someone you trust when it comes to matters of your career.

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.

Your insistence on the traditional clashes with everything in the world that is innovative and changing. You come up against this again and again. Your drive and emotions take conservative, well-traveled paths, carefully avoiding the new and different. You may have trouble feeling spontaneous and become overly dependent on others. All of this erupts in sudden fits of temper from time to time.

You have trouble controlling yourself and tend to fluctuate between uninspired routine and crazy binges. Your sense of responsibility and the way you go about organizing your life seem like a prison sentence. You rule out any possibility of change, all spontaneity. You get so set in your ways that you can't help but revolt and break out. Your flings have a total lack of caution. When they die down, you find yourself seeking refuge in the same old routine, and we begin again.

You have real difficulties when it comes to matters of self-discipline. Your career suffers due to your lack of training and education. You go against authority, clashing with it rather than finding a way to work with and learn from it. You end up taking an unplanned course of action that lacks any organization and seldom holds up for long. Taking the easy way out can be very painful. You come back to square one again and again.

Secrets have a short half-life around you, for you have them out in a wink of an eye. You are brilliant when it comes to insights into the mind, psychology, and motivation -- yours or others'. Your intensity is obvious, and some may prefer to keep their distance rather than subject themselves to your laser eye. Nothing is passed over without being turned inside and out. Your analytical powers are superb, and you enjoy finding new avenues of inner growth.