2012 opens with a Vulcan Mind-meld

The stars are serving Practical Clairvoyance, with a side of black-eyed peas, for New Year’s Day. Debates between dreamers and realists, mystics and scientists, have ended with a startling awakening. The fulcrum they’ve been teetering back and forth on for ages has vanished. They sit together, grounded, eye to eye. Doubt and confusion lift like the fog burned off by sunlight. They touch in a Vulcan Mind-meld. Love sees itself.

Happy New Year’s Day, January 1, 2012

Aries (March 20-April 19)
You have lightening-bolts in your cart for 2012. Sudden events will offer you opportunities to achieve individual success and prestige. In order to profit most from the changes ahead, you will re-examine your values and beliefs about what constitutes success. You will want to act on your knowledge of the collective consciousness. Your dreams have practical feet.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)
This is a year to clean out the basement, paint it a cheerful yellow, and open your own university of higher learning. You’re going to be attracted to a deeper study of the laws of the universe and to defining your own philosophy of life. You’re intellectually ambitious and you’d love to travel in the inner as well as the outer worlds. 2012 is meant to be an exciting adventure for you!

Gemini (May 21-June 20)
You are in the right place, both in temperament and talent, to fully embrace the information highway explosion. Your friendships are highlighted this year, and you’ll spend more time and talk with them. You’ll want to be involved in groups that foster social change and embrace the rebel in you. It would benefit you to add a few meaningful rituals that honor and deepen your understanding of your instinctual drives. Keep some passion fruit around. Eat more pomegranates.

Cancer (June 21-July 21)
You are in for lightening bolts of opportunity and sudden changes in your career. You’ll find unexpected ways to break through obstacles to your success. The deeper changes you are called to make are in the area of relationships. You will re-define what you value from a partner, what your concept of cooperation is, and what you are willing to give. This year you’ll come to understand your destiny through partnerships with others.

Leo (July 22-August 22)
Sudden opportunities for adventure and travel, both in your mind and in foreign countries, will presented themselves in 2012. Your philosophy of life is changing. You are re-defining the laws you want to live by so that they’re more in line with your higher Self. You’ll live the motto, “Be Ye Transformed.”

Virgo (August 23-September 22)
A deep transformation in the way you express your personal power is on the astrological agenda for you in 2012. Take an instant to see yourself as holy and magnificent. Matters of ultimate concern, life & death, love & hate, will call you to creatively re-examine your beliefs about trust and responsibility. This year you are called to take some risks, and experience a rebirth.

Libra (September 23-October 22)
Time to get rid of those expired cans of soup and open up your shelf room. Your home, or the place of your roots, will undergo an in-depth remodeling. You are going to experience an enlivening of your relationships, a rejuvenation of your desire to be in partnership. Sudden changes, chance encounters, and unexpected new friends will enter your life carrying the sign, “commitment is freedom.”

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)
Your work will undergo sudden changes and unexpected opportunities will present themselves. You may not be very disciplined on the job, but you will have enthusiasm. Your biggest challenge, the place you want to grow and even re-define yourself, is the way in which you communicate. Media and digital communications could transform your life. You are hungry for new knowledge.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 20)
Focus on your resources, and the way in which you manage them, for they contain enormous energy for transforming your life. You will re-define your values and beliefs about money and possessions to be more in line with your true self. A deepening of the successful use of your birth potential is in the stars. Sudden, unexpected changes and opportunities will come through love affairs, children, or the expanded expression of your personal power.

Capricorn (December 21-January 19)
Take in a deep breath of life and get ready to redefine who you are. Issues surrounding your individuality, your distinctiveness in this world, are undergoing a transformation. You consciousness is elevated beyond your day to day foibles and follies. Sudden changes and opportunities will come through your home, your roots, or real estate. It’s a taproot year for you, with new sprouts in all directions!

Aquarius (January 20-February 17)
Building the courage to let go of the past is going to effect transformative changes in your life this year. You’ll experience a thorough clearing of the decks, in order to make way for a new life. Sudden changes and opportunities will come through communications and your search for knowledge--you can’t get enough of either. Your keen intelligence will develop in new directions, with a heightened intuitive ability.

Pisces (February 18-March 19)
Through the creative use of both success and failure, you are going to significantly affect social changes in your community and in your groups of friends. You want to take a deeper look, to really get to the bottom line, at your inner rebel. You want to free yourself to fully utilize your potential, to fulfill your destiny. Sudden opportunities and changes will come through your resources, what you value and possess. You’ll loosen the chains of ownership, and redefine what you own.

We are just waking up. This is only a bare beginning.

It's fireworks above and below

This is a firecracker of a New Year’s Eve. The god of lightening has had a head-on collision with the Aries Moon before you even woke up--3:30 a.m. Fire meets fire can only mean a bigger blaze. Especially when one of them is hurling lightening bolts! This pair is definitely going to do something rash, and very unexpected. The thunder arrives around 4:00 p.m. when Pluto decides to heighten the intensity with a little evolutionary gasoline. When the lights get this bright, it’s much easier to see the snakes. We’re transforming our world in 2012.

Celebrate Saturday, December 31, 2011.

Aries (March 20-April 19)
You wake up this holiday eve energized by the Moon in your fireball sign. A blaze of passion sparks your desire for something unusual. Fireworks would be perfect! You can imagine that each exploding burst of light and color is an original idea your bring to the world. Can you visualize what the idea of peace would look like? Or the announcement that a cure has been found for all disease? Or could you see the beauty of your smiling face spilling love all over the world?

Taurus (April 20-May 20)
The wildly exciting New Year’s Eve that will be happening across America may be too volatile for your tastes, but it’s the revolutionary tidings of 2012. The intense, even impulsive, emotions bubbling up are a challenge to sort out--in your own good time. Use your Venus-inspired artistry to create a comfortable niche to greet the New Year in your own way. Observe the hares, love that you’re a tortoise. You’re a winner!

Gemini (May 21-June 20)
You’re changing your mind so much that you yourself can’t keep up! The Aries fireballs are overloading your communication circuits--careful not to get overheated. If you stay away from the “slow burn” of anger, this could be a thundercloud that releases a pent up need--like putting yourself first. Today you want to debate some issues, which could turn into fun, but you’re not really in the mood to listen. You know your choices. You can be right or happy, but not both. Start 2012 with starbursts of laughter.

Cancer (June 21-July 21)
Well what happens when the roaring Aries fireball rolls into the deep waters of Cancer? Steam for sure. And big emotions riding some up and down waves. You’d love a good debate today, just get a referee with diplomacy! Pick a topic that is near and dear to your heart.

Leo (July 22-August 22)
The colliding energies of a powerful force of transformation with the independent Aries Moon, motivate you to create something different. You may feel impatient with the normal routine. This fiery combination lights up your life with sudden and unexpected gifts. The stage is set for a New Year. This is one of those times when you welcome change. You are eager for it. You won’t allow anyone to hold you back.

Virgo (August 23-September 22)
Solar flares as a way of self-expression is not your style. Let’s face it, depending on the volatile winds, moods are up or down. You would of course prefer order, it fits with your talented analytical mind. However, the revolution (or Pluto would call it evolution) in the way we live is on. Grab the excitement of its unpredictability. Hold your beautifully balanced stance and face the wildness head-on. What strength!

Libra (September 23-October 22)
Your moods may be rather erratic, but your imagination is original beyond belief! These Independent fireballs, set off by the god of lightening colliding with the Moon, are exploding around you and going off inside you--each new idea insisting on following it’s own path. You’d like to sort it out, but discipline is out the window today. Might as well roll with it, let it burn itself out, and have some fun with it! Play with fire--it’s creative.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)
Looking for strange and unusual excitement for New Year’s Eve? Hope so because it’s on the menu. The fireball collision of the god of lightening is throwing off your usually quiet, reserved, way of communicating. Even you may feel impulsive! The New Year is being ushered in with ground shaking revolutions in the way we relate. Your natural ability to say what you think--direct and uncensored--is hopefully the new gold standard. We might as well “pretend” now that everyone can read our minds. It’s becoming true.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 20)
“Surprise me!” The intense, unexpected emotions from the collision of the Aries Moon and the god of lightening are right up your alley! You love the excitement. However, today is exceptionally heated. You may find your emotions are a fireball rolling down a dry grassy hill. You’re very likely to jump to a conclusion, and land on an angry friend. This is not your best PR moment. But hang on to that wonderful enthusiasm, and keep telling us straightforwardly exactly how it is. Your honesty should write the Declaration of Freedom for 2012.

Capricorn (December 21-January 19)
The Aries fireball of the Moon and Uranus in collision is like living with a flare gun. The intensity of the feelings burn too hot to handle, and with little warning. Intensity is Pluto’s way of getting to the bottom of things. The planets are stoking both the fires of revolutionary change, and of your creative passion. The only thing that cannot happen is that things stay the same. 2012 is an evolutionary year for you. A rebirth.

Aquarius (January 20-February 17)
The fires are pretty intense right now, stoking emotions to the boiling point. It’s planetary alchemy. Here on the eve of a new year, the stars have set an exciting tone of transformation--that can only happen through the dying of the old and outworn to make room for new life. You are the humanitarian alchemist. Rub the philosopher’s stone for that elixir that rejuvenates your life in 2012.

Pisces (February 18-March 19)
Emotions are off the chart volatile today. There’s nothing particularly kind or compassionate about the Aries fireball coming your way, but it can burn away an old routine or rut. Pluto is aiming for the bottom line, the shedding of the old skin. A metamorphosis. Like the famous Phoenix, a new life emerges from the death of the old. Pisces is the evolutionary last passage in the zodiac progression, and as such transcends the physical through spiritual development. Pray your way.

Poppy seed love

This is a poppy-seed-bagel kind of a day. Here’s how that goes: Your sweetheart has a favorite breakfast food, poppy seed bagels. You know this because absolutely every morning you walk into the kitchen and find little black seeds all over the counter and floor. One day as you’re angrily wiping them up for the millionth time, it suddenly dawns on you--if there were no poppy seeds, it would mean there was no sweetheart! And you’d miss him terribly. Suddenly, you think you can love these Poppy Seeds.

Friday is for love, December 30, 2011

Aries (March 20-April 19)
You might need two yoga classes today to keep your cool. The balance of yin and yang looks like a teetering see-saw. The Mars yang energy is challenging you to stand firm and trust your intuition. Life will dish up a few little examples so you can practice the balance. This may be irritating. Communications are going very well for you--lots of mental clarity--a beautiful mind.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)
Sometimes it’s the little things that add up. Like the straw that broke the camel’s back. There may be moments today when it seems you just don’t want to deal with one more thing--but then you have to. Find a way to walk it off. It’s small stuff. You still have the harmonic energy from the Sun giving you the willpower and drive to act on your dreams. Remember where you put that vision board?

Gemini (May 21-June 20)
You open the door for the dog to go out and the only fly in town zips into your kitchen and lands on your pancakes! It’s a challenge today to hang on to your good humor. Lots of oppositional Mars energy can override the soft, sensitive Pisces Moon. Pay attention to your feminine side, your feelings and intuition, and look at life’s little irritations as a chance to learn tolerance.

Cancer (June 21-July 21)
Oh, please don’t take anything personally today. There’s irritability in the air and possibly a host of tiny hurdles--just enough to be annoying. But the sweet Pisces Moon is shining her light on you, and bringing you a sense of well-being. You’re in a good position to simply ignore the negativity. Spend some time by the water today to calm any frazzles.

Leo (July 22-August 22)
Your mental efforts are strong enough to push an idea upstream today. Communications come easily and clearly. Emotions, not so much. You may have to contend with someone who just wants to disagree for the sake of disagreeing. Small stuff that lions and lionesses rise above--not worth your time. There’s a growing sweetness to your dreams. Love is in the air.

Virgo (August 23-September 22)
Your Mars energy is still very high. But you won’t take well to obstacles that seem to come out of nowhere today, even the ones you throw at yourself. So if you find you’re getting a little antsy, impulsive, or on edge, it’s likely you’ve denied your feelings in favor of action. Try to stay in tune with the strong intuitive voice of the Pisces Moon--she’s a poet.

Libra (September 23-October 22)
It may be easy to get irritated with the gazillion little annoyances today. If you’re feeling angry, then today’s not the day to try out the new kitchen knives you got for Christmas! The Mars oppositional energy will pass. You have a beautifully creative harmonic with Venus’ growing compassion as she pairs with Neptune, the visionary poet. You’ll just feel inspired.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)
The sweet Moon in Pisces would rather hang out, read some Rumi, and relax. But Mars is feeling oppositional, and needles her into action with a play on her sympathies. It’s a day that may be a bit irritating, but probably only petty annoyances. If your feel angry, look deeper--something you’ve been putting up with, but now need to take a stand?

Sagittarius (November 22-December 20)
There’s a stand-off today between your yin and yang energies. Should you stay receptive, just say it’s no big deal. Or is someone stepping on your toes and you need to say “ouch?” Some excitable emotions flying around. Remember your thinking is clear and inspired. It’s your emotions that need some tender loving care.

Capricorn (December 21-January 19)
On the way to taking out the garbage, the bag rips and of course it’s the wet coffee grounds that spill out all over the floor. A million tiny irritations may seem to jump in your way. It’s a show down between how you feel and how you act. They’re not in sync today. Are you doing something that doesn't feel right to you, just because you’re obligated? You’re still drawing down the powerful Capricorn surge of ambition, so you can makes changes by exerting your will.

Aquarius (January 20-February 17)
If you have a cherished belief at stake today, you will fight for it with considerable force. And, you will have no trouble getting your point across. The beautiful harmonic you have right now with Venus and Neptune in Aquarius is richly inspiring. Your actions are motivated by a deep compassion, and of course with you it’s always for the good of the whole.

Pisces (February 18-March 19)
A challenge for dominance between your masculine and feminine sides could make you tense and irritable today--easily triggered by the slightest little thing. The Pisces Moon is getting flack from three sides. She needs support. Pay attention to how you feel. Take periodic time-outs and check in with your intuitive self. Let your senses and feelings have a say.

Moving heaven and earth

When Pluto arrives, we can’t just rearrange the furniture or slip a match book under the wobbly table leg. We have to get out our tools, and fix what’s broken. The ambitious Capricorn Sun has joined forces with Pluto, the big mover and shaker. It’s time to renovate the living quarters--make way for your new dreams.

Feeling like a psychic sponge continues, now that the Moon’s in sympathetic Pisces. So realists and dreamers, keep dancing. No one’s a bigger realist than Pluto, and Pisces makes poetry for dreamers. Something for everyone.

Thanks for Thursday, December 29, 2011

Aries (March 20-April 19)
The big urge to transform your life, to make it more in line with your true calling, is happening for you in your 10th house of career and ambition. You have the drive right now to make changes that bring this area of your life more in line with your ideals. Is there a big dream that you’ve hoped for, but haven’t yet had the push or the opportunity to actualized? You may feel very motivated, even obsessed, to get it going now.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)
Sympathy and understanding abound today with the Moon in your sister sign, Pisces. Add to that, a Powerful Pluto pulling your attention to internal issues, and you have a time in your life of healing changes. Perhaps that bruised toe you’ve been anxiously guarding will get a true rest and recuperation. Instead of limping along, bravely coping, you’ll have to sit, ice and elevate. The point Pluto makes is, “no bandaids.” Fix it.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)
Some situation has broken down, perhaps completely, and you have to deal with the repair. Pluto’s affecting your 8th house, his natural domain, so the ambition and power to make changes is doubly yours. You may feel absolutely driven to remodel your employment contract, redefine your job responsibilities, or refile your taxes. Remember this is all for the good. You’re just re-potting the bulbs. Think of the doubling of new blooms ahead.

Cancer (June 21-July 21)
Although you may be very impressionable right now, that added sensitivity will make you spot-on psychic! Yes, the absorbing like a sponge is still on, however it has a new kick--you get a power surge to fulfill your ambitions. And being so in tune with the times, your chance of success is greatly increased. Just watch out for power plays, either from you to others, or vice versa.

Leo (July 22-August 22)
Power and ambition are the headliners today. Pluto is sitting in your 6th house of work, so you may be willing to work very hard right now to get what you want. You're able to change and regenerate yourself, and things around you, by focusing your will. If Yoda were here, he would say, "the Force is with you." Get out your lightsaber Leo.

Virgo (August 23-September 22)
Feeling vulnerable may be a price you pay today for your very vivid imagination--the one that can see so many possibilities. You may have a boss, friend or family member who comes at you with a power play or flexing a muscle. You’ll have to stand up for your position. Go ahead and really get involved, don’t try to solve the problem with a hand’s off approach. You’re making your life more congruent with your true Self.

Libra (September 23-October 22)
Cosmetic changes may suit Venus, but Pluto wants dermabrasion at the very least. Uranus’ lightening bolts bring revolutionary events, but Pluto gives you evolutionary events. You are called to make an inner change. Remember you’re eliminating whatever is old and outworn to make room for something new to be born. Why are you keeping that old worn-out chair?

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)
Wade-in versus jump-in is ok, as long as you go all the way to the deep end. This is not a day you can splash around in the baby pool. The powerful alignment today of Pluto and the Sun conjoined in Capricorn, is equivalent to picking up the Olympic torch--and running with it. Pluto supplies the drive and the power that gives you the energy you need. Just imagine what you can accomplish.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 20)
Head’s up, it’s a powerful day. You may even be in the mood for some hard work, as long as it’s for a great change. The planet that symbolizes deep transformation, Pluto, always wants to get to the root of things. So this is not a time to just rearrange the furniture to cover the stain on the rug--you’re gotta get Stanley Steamer in, or better yet, buy a new rug. Express what’s underneath.

Capricorn (December 21-January 19)
Solar-powered ambition is so strong right now that you may blow out a transformer! The conjoined twins of the Sun and Pluto in your sign are equivalent to an 8.8 on the Richter Scale of transformation. You have earthshaking power behind your ambitions, but don’t waste it on superficial changes (they won’t work anyway). Pluto wants the stuff back in the corner of the closet. The goal is to bring your life more in line with your true Self.

Aquarius (January 20-February 17)
You can’t sit by the sidelines today--well, you can try to, but something will happen that pulls you into to the deep water. It’s a day for looking under the bed, shining a powerful light on your fears. Powerful Pluto has shown up with an 18-wheeler, ready to haul away whatever is outworn. No excuses. There’s even a wench on the back for dislodging that tree stump! Make way for...the new thing that wants to grow.

Pisces (February 18-March 19)
The Moon is in your sign today, magnifying the psychic sensitivity you’re feeling. Expect intense experiences that pull you into a deeper level of yourself. Pluto has joined the Sun to create a powerhouse of ambition to achieve your goals. However, with Pluto nothing can be taken lightly. It’s evolution, not revolution, so don’t throw the baby out with the bath water. It’s still baby steps--but in a new direction.

Thirsty sponge, wet sea

Your mind is an indiscriminately thirsty sponge today, ready to willy-nilly suck up whatever floats by. Watch your absorption contact point. If you manage your sponge well, moist but not dripping, you’ll have enough room to download a few imaginative and inspiring dreamscapes.

Warm-up exercise for handling today’s Neptune-Moon surge: Can you imagine that when you’re awake thinking, you may actually be asleep dreaming? And when you’re asleep dreaming, you may actually be awake thinking? Upside down? You say you have witnesses who see you when you’re sleeping, and know when you’re awake? What if we’re in a shared delusion? Like Oz. Quick, check for green glasses!

Hold on to “reality,” Wednesday, December 28, 2011.

Aries (March 20-April 19)
All your psychic antennae are up! You have your feelers out, sensing your way through the mind field. Luckily you have Mindful Mercury in a compatible fire sign so your circuits are firing clear ideas. Neptune is not just a dreamy fog, it also inspires us to oneness and altruism. Do a mitzvah, help someone lost in the soup of today!

Taurus (April 20-May 20)
You have a heightened sensitivity to your surroundings. You’re picking up on subtle clues from everyone around you. Because today’s Neptune-Moon surge is in an air sign, it may cause you to doubt yourself. Don’t. Remember, subtle does not mean weak. Read the clues. Add it up.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)
This is a woodling & doodling opportunity for you. Let your mind wander and doodle your thoughts. Today’s Neptune-Moon surge is in Aquarius, your compatible air sign. Word scramble is in effect, but you love puzzles. Get our your vision board (in the back of the hall closet) and go for it. See 2012. See your happiness.

Cancer (June 21-July 21)
Ears are perked up, you’re hearing sounds no one else can hear. Those subtle frequencies at the high note range are coming through, almost making you wince. Problem is you’re normally very sensitive, so today’s surge from a Neptune-Moon conjunction is overdoing it! Remember the aluminum hat trick? Put it on. Dial in to yourself.

Leo (July 22-August 22)
Remember the old adage, “always play tennis with someone better than you?” Stretching into the positive sea of energy, the place where winners triumph, only requires a conscious decision on your part. It’s just as easy to decide to do that, as to mindlessly absorb the fear-of-the-day. Big menu. Eye on the prize.

Virgo (August 23-September 22)
What can I say? Dreamers have the upper hand today. Realists are in the minority. The Neptune-Moon power surge is in cool-headed Aquarius, but it’s a stressful quirky distance away from your solid ground. You’ll read people’s minds, but remind yourself quickly that it’s not up to you to help them out of the muck. One mind is enough to manage today. Focus on the dreams about you.

Libra (September 23-October 22)
You’re eyes are feeling very heavy, you are falling asleep to the sound of a voice in your head...Wake up Libra and dream a little dream of loving yourself. But don’t try to put words to it--it’s a scramble. Better to paint a picture. Use a metaphor. Write a poem. See yourself happy, healed and whole.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)
Neptune, the god of the sea, is familiar friend to your watery depths. Today’s dreaminess can reveal clues to mysteries--just your cup of tea. Neptune combines with the Moon to reveal in dreams both the desires of your Soul, and also the desires of ego. One brings you a feeling of peace, the other fear. Follow your peaceful preference. Plan to leave the rest in 2011.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 20)
Lost in a daydream, dreamin’ ‘bout that bundle of joy--a childlike Sagittarian no doubt with your gift for positive thinking! The Neptune-Moon combination today can inspire your zest for freedom, and a dream of all people having a better life. The great Knight Sir Lancelot must have been a Sagittarian, with Camelot’s Aquarius motto, “in serving each other, we become free.” Dream a dream of what freedom looks like to you.

Capricorn (December 21-January 19)
Dream a little dream of what your life would look like if all your problems were solved. Now. Believe in it. The Moon joining Neptune today triggers deeper desires for more compassion--especially for yourself. Mama Cass sang it beautifully, “Sweet Dreams that leave your worries behind you.”

Aquarius (January 20-February 17)
It’s your ability to walk in another’s shoes that makes your humanitarian view so inclusive, so collective. You can expect an epiphany today--at least one. The Neptune-Moon surge is in your sign, activating a solar powerhouse of intuition. Take time to realize what your dream is. Take notes. The full meaning will come later.

Pisces (February 18-March 19)
Neptune would have your squint your eyes and “see” the full spectrum of the rainbow--even those incredible violet hues. With the Moon close by, you’ll experience the beauty around you, and also feel the feelings of others today. Your natural sensitivity adds a vulnerability--a vertigo-inducing fog. Clear your mind with a walk, some gardening, or something that grounds you. Do your dreaming in the sunlight.

Tuesday belongs to Mighty Mars

The next three days are going to feel like the scene in Free Willy when the dolphin who's been trapped in the small lagoon, gets the courage, with a little help from his friends, to jump into the much bigger pond. Today’s restlessness is coming from the restriction of circling the small pond, knowing there’s an bigger ocean just a leap away.

It’s call-to-action Tuesday, December 27, 2011.

Aries (March 20-April 19)
The airwaves are loaded today with communications, not anything earth shattering, just needing to reach out. You’ll feel like lending a sympathetic ear to a friend, or you friend will do that for you. Share their viewpoint. It opens up spaces in your mind. The god of lightening will be in your sign 7 years (he’s to blame for the proverbial 7-year itch!) so your ability to adjust to sudden events, sudden flashes of inspiration, is becoming masterful.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)
Do you have enough bandwidth? Make room in your airwaves for lots of calls, emails, texts. Today’s a day for reaching out. You have the sensitivity and an awareness of other people’s feelings in mind, so you make a great listener and your friends know it. There’s a powerhouse of energy building toward Thursday. Tensions, restlessness, and sudden aha’s are the wake-up calls you’ll need. Where do you feel the need for more space in your life?

Gemini (May 21-June 20)
Get a ring tone you’re really in the mood for because you’ll be jumping to it all day. Mercury picks up the tempo of chatter in a light, just-want-to-connect kind of way. Gossip can actually be a life-saving grapevine story that carries through the whole tribe, uniting us in helpful action. You can be a great listener today, fulfilling that often neglected part of the loop. Is a friend telling you a way to free yourself?

Cancer (June 21-July 21)
This is not a day you’ll want to put up with someone else’s “stuff,” especially if it restricts your freedom in any way. A certain restlessness is actually the motivator you need. You’re feeling good now, just don’t get lulled into a lazy do-nothing day. Even if you do, the god of lightening will spice it up for you when you least expect it. Think of yourself in a bigger pond. Like the whole friggin’ ocean! Explore.

Leo (July 22-August 22)
Singing at the top of your lungs, in the shower or the car with the windows rolled up, will get your juices flowing. Get out your guitar, or just hum along, to the old Janis Joplin tune, “...it ain’t nothin’ baby if it ain’t free.” Break your own routine today, then the god of lightening won’t have to do it for you. Get yourself a bigger space.

Virgo (August 23-September 22)
Today’s routine is broken by an unexpected event. What is really happening is that you want to free yourself, and your own restlessness stirs the status quo. Jupiter in your compatible sign, Taurus, continues to offer you opportunities and a sense of well-being. However, there is also a call to transform some structures in your life, and this is where the tension lies. Talk it over with friends. Listen to your own voice.

Libra (September 23-October 22)
You’re like Willy the dolphin who’s got friends, got food, got a place to live, but still hears the call of wider, more open spaces. Notice the static cling today, the electricity that pops annoyingly when you touch something--those sparks are frustrated desires looking to get free. To find expression. Talk to lots of friends today. They’ll probably be calling you anyway. See what you think by hearing it in a friend’s voice.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)
Some of the major planetary players, who call the shots behind the scenes, are about to step on stage for another number. Their introduction is being felt as today’s restless, perhaps irritable, mood. It’s actually a discomfort designed to urge you to action. Today’s subtle nudges, if unheeded, will become Thursday’s unexpected event. You know you have the power over your own life. Victim does not suit you.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 20)
Your in the transformation soup and the god of lightening is stirring the pot! The goal is more room to be yourself. Remember the goldfish who only grow to fit the size of their tank? You are not meant to be one of them, swimming in small circles. No, Jupiter is your muse and he’s all about fulfillment--and of course the famous Sagittarian good will to all. Lend an ear to a friend today. And vice versa.

Capricorn (December 21-January 19)
There are many ways to be free and today’s buzz is about exploring connections to others--neighbor-to-neighbor--that focus on commonalities. Knowing that you belong to your tribe, they cannot do without you, frees up your courage for decisive action--the Capricorn trait everyone loves about you. You may get an unexpected kick-start that will put you on just the right path.

Aquarius (January 20-February 17)
It’s still a lazy good time with Venus and the Moon in your sign. This could also be very lucky day, or you could just sleep through it--feeling so content! It’s likely the tons of calls and emails today will rouse you to action. At least to get in the communications loop with all the news circulating--nothing major just people wanting to connect. Freedom is one of your favorite words, and most closely guarded treasure, so the courage to leap into a bigger pond is already something you’ve mastered. Now is a good time to teach it.

Pisces (February 18-March 19)
You can be a very good listener, and all the calls and letters flying around today are friends hoping that someone will in fact just listen to them. You’re going to be in great demand. Your compassion is sorely needed by so many. A powerhouse of transformational energy is building toward Thursday, when it peaks. Since it’s in Capricorn, it is an easy urge to open up your life, your activities. Still, you can expect the unexpected, especially if you need a boot to get out of a rut or bad habit.

It's not over, even when Saturn says "enough!"

What goes up must come down, and sometimes drops like a rock into our morning coffee. Post-Christmas “blues” get a helping hand from Serious Saturn early this morning. He’s suggesting (actually nagging) that we get back to business.

Venus enters arm and arm with the Aquarius Moon at 9:15 a.m., and our spirits rise to the sweet memory of the happiness we felt when sharing our gifts. Venus says, “do it again today!”

A hang-gliding Moon in Aquarius rules Monday, December 26, 2011.

Aries (March 20-April 19)
With your good luck you probably slept through the wet blanket morning moodiness of Serious Saturn, and woke just in time for the Moon’s entrance into Aquarius around 9:15. You feel cheerful and quite social throughout this day as the Moon sails along side Venus. By evening the air is sweet and the mood romantic. Sing a love song.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)
You welcome the no-nonsense Monday morning that Serious Saturn has in mind. Your energy is high (not just all the chocolate you ate!) and Saturn is giving practical form to your art. By mid-morning the mood shifts into airy Aquarius, which would ordinarily be a bit cool, but she meets up with Venus and you feel indulgent--even amorous.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)
Coming to the close of 2011, you have an easy working relationship between your right and left brain, your mental wheels turning out surprising new ideas. Mars has fixed his position in precision oriented Virgo all the way to July 4th, so implementing those ideas may seem to require tedious work, but Mars is seeing that it’s done right--and lasting. A little patience will have big rewards. The New Year is going to be revolutionary, and beyond your wildest dreams.

Cancer (June 21-July 21)
Before the Moon leaves Capricorn this morning, it will have a serious stand-off with Stern Saturn. No warm-fuzzy stuff for this pair. A fleeting sense of loneliness, as if you’ve lost your connections, passes by mid-morning when the Moon shifts into a partnership with Venus. Suddenly you’d like another jelly donut and perhaps to rearrange the living room. You beautify your world.

Leo (July 22-August 22)
Serious Saturn just loves going back to work on Monday morning and restoring order after the pleasures of the holiday weekend. Sounds rather puritanical? Yep. Keep him in his place (maybe give him some stuff to file) and keep your eye on the uplifting Aquarius Moon that arrives mid-morning. She’s going to make a tight friendship with Venus by this evening--sweet tooth, warm indulgences, and fun with friends.

Virgo (August 23-September 22)
Just before dawn your dreams may be invaded by a grouchy Judge with a big rule book and a stop watch. What ever you do, don’t take him seriously. Some fresh air arrives mid-morning, lifting your thoughts to more universal themes. You have the booster rocket of Mighty Mars fueling your energy until July 4th, so pace yourself! You don’t need to do it all by noon!

Libra (September 23-October 22)
Back-to-work blues may try to hang over your morning coffee, making for a serious start to the day. But by 9:15 the air feels lighter, you realize it’s not as bad as it looks, and you call a friend to make a lunch date. Your sociability sparkle rises throughout the day, into a sweet romantic mood by evening. If there’s a connection you’d like to make, or improve, this is the night for it. Caution has flown with the wind.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)
After a few early morning hours where you feel like organizing your desk, or worse, cleaning out the garage, you’ll get a lift in your mood. The Moon’s pairing with Venus might draw your attention to sprucing up your home--adding a few beautifying touches. It will certainly inspire you to social activities, something romantic in the air.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 20)
The holiday fun may seem like a frivolous amusement to the standards of Serious Saturn this morning. Tell him to back off, you’re just getting started. Around 9:30 you’ll notice sparkle in your conversations, and a desire to be with friends. The warm feelings grow throughout the day, heading to an evening of fun.

Capricorn (December 21-January 19)
Monday morning may have the blues, or at least a too serious note even for Capricorn. The challenge is to lighten up, and you’ll get help doing that around mid-morning when the goddess of Love shows her feelings, and relationships warm up. Venus also has a sweet tooth and generally overindulges, so that extra piece of pie looks pretty good--even better when shared.

Aquarius (January 20-February 17)
The early morning has a serious note, even a somewhat chilly mood. But then the Moon moves into your sign. This save-the-planet Moon pairs up with an unusually humanitarian Venus to stir your social activism for a greener planet, a more fertile economy--or at least to tend your own garden. A cheerful mood carries your day and you feel quite social. You radiate warmth and others are drawn to you.

Pisces (February 18-March 19)
You have high energy from the ongoing in-sync vibes from Mighty Mars. You’ll need it to ward off the wet blanket seriousness that Saturn tries to put over your dreams in the early morning hours. A lighter more sociable mood breeze through by noon, and Venus joins in to stir up a little romance for the evening.

A very imperfect present

What if the celestial heavens, shining and twinkling without fail, are a mirror? And, we are the stars. What a gift we are to each other when we show our very imperfect, but twinkling, selves--the one who struggles through courageously, sees the real stuff, knows it’s not a Currier & Ives.

Sparks are in the air Christmas Day. Gifts are unconventional. We’re going for that high, fly ball. We open our doors to unexpected guests. We realize, with gratitude, that we are the gifts we give each other.

Unwrap the gift of who you are this star-studded Sunday, December 25, 2011

Aries (March 20-April 19)
Aries, you represent the beginning of life--the very first breath of Spring. You see the possibilities before you of all that can be brought into form. Must be how God felt on day one. Enthusiasm! “Wait, if I rub these two sticks together long enough, with plenty of zest, I make fire!” You are unique, truly there is no one else just like you--knowing this is your gift.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)
After Aries takes the first breath, establishes our individuality, Taurus comes along with a slow, steady determination to learn how to use our potential. You plant your practical feet on solid ground and ask, “what shall I do with all this stuff? How will I use my talents? Wait, what’s mine, and what’s yours? And, Taurus, we love that you insist on being luxuriously comfortable while you figure all this out!

Gemini (May 21-June 20)
Gemini, you embody the search for knowledge. You’re the sign of late spring, everything is growing above ground for your delight. New life has emerged (Aries), found it’s value (Taurus), and now develops it’s intellect in Gemini. You are the first sign to reach out into the environment, and start to make meaning. And there’s so much that interests you!

Cancer (June 21-July 21)
Cancer is the zodiac sign that has the work of developing our roots. Creating a home, tapping into the inner depths of feelings, gives you the gift of sensitivity. Yes, it’s a gift you sometimes wish you didn’t have--it’s so incredibly intense. But that ability you have to feel so deeply is your gift to the rest of us.

Leo (July 22-August 22)
Leo’s gift is to give expression to the creativity and personal power inherent in each one of us. You understand the risky business of giving birth to new life, new creations. It’s a gamble you’re willing to take-- the source of your courage. The lion/lioness creates a family, is fiercely loyal to it, and protects it with a mighty power. That’s why astrologers say, “you’ve never been loved ‘til you’ve been loved by a Leo.”

Virgo (August 23-September 22)
Yours is the gift of healing, through service to others. You face a crisis, re-adjust, and allow yourself to be transformed by the experience. Your capacity to serve grows with each failure faced with courage, each success accepted with humility. It’s hard work to be sure. But you have an inner knowing that drives you. You can see perfection.

Libra (September 23-October 22)
Libra, you are the one that summons up all that has been learned, and then takes it into partnership. The ability to share with another, while keeping what you need for yourself, is the wisdom of discernment that you are here to teach--and learn. Why is balance so important to you? Because you’ve taken on the challenge of learning to surf with two on board. And Venus offers the grace to make it look like fun. Show us.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)
Your power is legendary in the Phoenix rising, the Dracula myths, and popularized characterizations of Sherlock Holmes. You understand the fundamentals of regeneration, transformation--life and death. You know how to get to the bottom of things and deliver your discoveries with unfiltered truthfulness. Trust would settle all problems, and it’s this knowledge that is the gift of Scorpio.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 20)
The realm of the higher mind, spiritual justice, is your forte. There’s a lot of mental buzz for you through January 7th, so bless us with some of your off-the-cuff honesty. Your gift is the power of positive thinking, which fuels the energetic pursuit of your goal--freedom. But not just personal freedom, you champion liberty for everyone. Wish you ran Congress!

Capricorn (December 21-January 19)
The whole mountain goat thing just doesn’t do you justice--and you’re all about justice. But having the chutzpah to climb to the top, that’s you! CEO of a company on the rise--that’s your spot. Some may be fooled by your quiet, even meek (?) appearance, but those close to you know you’re ready to plant your flag on Mt. Everest--just waiting for the right moment. The right use of public power is your gift. Of all the signs, Capricorn makes the best Supreme Court Justices.

Aquarius (January 20-February 17)
Capricorn may set the stage for success, but Aquarians put it to creative use for social change. Both of you have the stubbornness to see something through to the end. You’ll be the one leading the march down Pennsylvania Avenue. Venus is in your sign until January 13th, adding grace and beauty to your dreams.

Pisces (February 18-March 19)
You wait at the finish line of human experience, marking the conclusion of a completed cycle. And your job is to clear the stage for the next drama, getting rid of all the used props, and throwing out the old scripts. Because your goal is letting go of the past, your gift has to be great compassion. The learning curve is high for you right now, preparing for Neptune in Pisces this coming February. Compassionate visionary.